Abstract
The majority (>95 pct) of the silver in copper anodes occurs in metastable solid solution in the copper matrix; only a small percentage is present in solid solution in Cu2(Se,Te) inclusions, as a constituent of complex Cu-Pb-As-Sb-Bi oxides or as tiny grains of Ag-Cu alloy. During elec-trorefining, the silver in the copper matrix dissolves, but it is rapidly removed from the elec-trolyte by a variety of reactions. Part of the silver is precipitated in elemental form by cuprous ion, but some of this metallic silver subsequently redissolves. Some of the dissolved silver precipitates as a complex Cu-Ag-Pb-As-Se oxidate phase which agglomerates the particles in the anode slimes, and some reacts with the Cu2(Se,Te) inclusions liberated from the anode to form, sequentially, silver-bearing copper selenide, AgCuSe, copper-bearing silver selenide, and Ag2Se. Several selenide species are present in the anode slimes, and individual selenide particles com-monly consist of more than one selenide species. Because of the diversity and complexity of the silver-bearing phases present, the Ag/Se ratio in the anode is only an approximate indicator of the selenide species present in the anode slimes.
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Chen, T.T., Dutrizac, J.E. A mineralogical study of the deportment and reaction of silver during copper electrorefining. Metall Trans B 20, 345–361 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02696987
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02696987