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Copper nucleation and growth patterns on stainless steel cathode blanks in copper electrorefining

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Abstract

Surface properties of stainless steel on nucleation and growth of copper under electrorefining conditions were studied using AISI 316L type stainless steel in rotating disc electrodes (RDE), stationary electrodes and Hull cell, and also worn industrial cathode blanks. The aim was to find correlations between surface topography and nucleation and growth using deposition tests, microscopy, and image analysis. Deposition tests were done galvanostatically using synthetic copper electrorefining electrolyte and current density 330 A/m2 typical in electrorefining. On the as-received stainless steel with 2B finish, nucleation happened at grain boundaries. Wet grinding resulted in deposition on the ridges and valleys of rough surface and ridges of smooth surface. The nucleation density was in the order of 106 nuclei/cm2 in RDE and Hull cell tests, and 105 nuclei/cm2 in stationary electrode tests. Used industrial blanks did not show the same deposition patterns on grain boundaries and scratch marks, and copper deposited on edges of larger damages. The nucleation density on industrial blanks was in the order of 103 nuclei/cm2.

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Acknowledgments

This work was financially supported by the International Copper Sponsor Group. The authors are grateful to the Group members for permission to publish the results.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Materials Science, Aalto University, PO Box 16200, 00076, Aalto, Espoo, Finland

    Jari Aromaa, Antti Kekki, Anna Stefanova & Olof Forsén

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  1. Jari Aromaa
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  2. Antti Kekki
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  3. Anna Stefanova
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  4. Olof Forsén
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Correspondence to Jari Aromaa.

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Dedicated to the 75th birthday of Professor Waldfried Plieth

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Aromaa, J., Kekki, A., Stefanova, A. et al. Copper nucleation and growth patterns on stainless steel cathode blanks in copper electrorefining. J Solid State Electrochem 16, 3529–3537 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10008-012-1898-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10008-012-1898-x

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