Permanent cathode technologies in copper electrowinning : development and status

dc.contributor.authorNaidoo, Kalin
dc.contributor.authorSole, Kathryn C.
dc.contributor.emailkathy.sole@up.ac.za
dc.date.accessioned2025-11-19T04:40:11Z
dc.date.available2025-11-19T04:40:11Z
dc.date.issued2025-09
dc.descriptionDATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT : The data presented in Section 4 are available on request from the corresponding author.
dc.description.abstractThe replacement of copper metal starter-sheet cathodes with the use of permanent cathode technology, in which the target metal is plated onto an inert blank template, has enabled significant benefits in the copper electrowinning process. These include the application of significantly higher current density, which reduces tankhouse footprint and increases process intensity per unit area; improved operator safety with less reliance on manual electrode handling; and the implementation of process automation and robotics. Cathodes of >99.99% chemical purity and with a smooth and aesthetic surface morphology are consistently produced. This review considers the evolution and development of the permanent cathode process, its commercial adoption across the global copper industry, and the current technology status.
dc.description.departmentMaterials Science and Metallurgical Engineering
dc.description.librarianhj2025
dc.description.sdgSDG-09: Industry, innovation and infrastructure
dc.description.urihttps://www.mdpi.com/journal/minerals
dc.identifier.citationNaidoo, K.; Sole, K.C. Permanent Cathode Technologies in Copper Electrowinning: Development and Status. Minerals 2025, 15, 957: 1-15. https://doi.org/10.3390/min15090957.
dc.identifier.issn2075-163X (online)
dc.identifier.other10.3390/min15090957
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/2263/105346
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherMDPI
dc.rights© 2025 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
dc.subjectCopper
dc.subjectElectrowinning
dc.subjectPermanent cathode
dc.subjectProcess efficiency
dc.titlePermanent cathode technologies in copper electrowinning : development and status
dc.typeArticle

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