Acid Mist Suppressant for CU EW
- Principal Investigator (PI): Jinhong Zhang, Freeport McMoRan Copper & Gold Chair in Mineral Processing, Department of Mining and Geological Engineering (MGE)
- Partners: Freeport McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc
Acid mist is produced at mine sites when oxygen bubbles in copper electrowinning solution rise and burst at the surface, releasing acidified mist into the air which can lead to serious health and corrosion problems. Developed by the Dept of Mining & Geological Engineering with support from Freeport McMoRan, this research project’s objective was to study the impact of working conditions on O2 bubbles produced in copper electrowinning solution, with the aim of mitigating acid mist production.
A high-speed video camera system was set up to capture and study the bubbles bursting at the air/liquid surface. The acid solution was characterized by the number of drops related to bubble size, viscosity, density, and surface tension. This study successfully clarified the mist formation process, enabling more successful methods of suppression and enhanced training methodology