Polar Division of MMC “Norilsk Nikel”, Norilsk, Russia:
A. I. Devochkin, Chief Engineer of Copper Plant
I. S. Kuzmina, Chief Specialist (Center of Engineering Maintenance of Production)
E. V. Salimzhanova, Candidate of Chemical Sciences, Deputy Director of Center of Engineering Maintenance of Production, e-mail: salimzhanovaev@nk.nornik.ru

Norilsk Industrial Institute, Norilsk, Russia:

L. I. Petukhova, Assistant Professor of a Chair of Non-Ferrous Metals' Metallurgy

Physical properties (dynamic viscosity, density, thermal capacity and conductivity) of sulfate copper-nickel solutions were studied in dependence on their composition and temperature for purposes of process calculations. The solutions composition was similar to that of electrolyte from Copper Tankhouse at Copper Plant (Norilsk Nickel, Polar Division). The aim of the study was to define density via the bottle method, conductivity via conductance measuring method, viscosity by means of the glass capillary viscometer. Boundary parameters of the experiment corresponded to copper electrolysis conditions being in practice at Polar Division. Concentration of copper, nickel, sulfuric acid and electrolyte temperature were variable parameters. To simplify the experiment, a new parameter “metals bulk” was introduced, i. e. a combination of Cu and Ni ions concentration. Based on the study results, ranges for variation of physical properties of sulphate copper electrolyte within the commercial concentrations and temperatures was determined. To define physical properties of actual process solutions, graphic curves (nomographs) were plotted. As the stability of two system parameters is improbable, the special equations for the multicomponent systems under investigation were derived. According to the proposed methods, the error of physical quantity determination is sufficient to use them for calculations of Cu refining process.

1. Zaytsev I. D., Aseev G. G. Fiziko-khimicheskie svoystva binarnykh i mnogokomponentnykh rastvorov neorganicheskikh veshchestv (Physical-chemical properties of binary and multicomponent solutions of inorganic substances). Moscow : Khimiya, 1988. 416 p.

2. Svoystva elektrolitov (Properties of electrolytes). Under the editorship of I. N. Maksimova. Moscow : Metallurgiya, 1987. 128 p.
3. Dobosh D. Elektrokhimicheskie konstanty (Electrochemical constants). Moscow : Mir, 1980. 365 p.
4. GOST 10028–81. Viskozimetry kapillyarnye steklyannye. Tekhnicheskie usloviya (State Standard 10028-81. Capillary glass viscosimeters. Technical conditions). Introduced: January 01, 1983. (in Russian)
5. Tseluykin V. N., Nevernaya O. G., Soloveva N. D. Strukturnye prevrashcheniya v kontsentrirovannykh rastvorakh sulfata medi (Structure transformations in concentrated copper sulfate solutions). Aktualnye problemy elektrokhimicheskoy tekhnologii (Urgent problems of electrochemi cal technology). Saratov : Saratov State Technical Univer sity, 2005. pp. 68–71.
6. Treybus E. B. Fluktuatsii kontsentratsii soley v shirokoy oblasti sostavov ikh vodnykh rastvorov, vklyuchaya peresyshchennye (Fluctuations of salts' concentration in the wide area of compositions of their water solutions, including exceeding ones). Zhurnal fizicheskoy khimii = Russian journal of physical chemistry. 2002. Vol. 76, No. 4. pp. 685–691.
7. Trostin V. N., Fedotova M. V. Strukturnyy analiz vodnykh rastvorov elektrolitov: eksperiment i teorii (Structure analysis of water solutions of electrolytes: experiment and theories). Problemy khimii rastvorov i tekhnologii zhidkofaznykh materialov (Problems of chemistry of solutions and technology of liquid-phase materials). Ivanovo : Ivanovo, 2001. pp. 81–90.