Patent ID: 6139705
Filing Date: 2000-10-31
Classification: C25B,C25C

Abstract:
A compound electrode for electrowinning a metal present in an electrolyte in an electrolytic cell by partially submersing said electrode in said cell electrolyte, said electrode comprising a thin and solid lead electrode base and at least one thin valve metal surface member in mesh form, which lead base is in sheet form and has broad, essentially rectangular front and back surfaces as well as narrow side and bottom surfaces, with each front and back surface having at least substantially parallel side edges, as well as having top and bottom edges, with said electrode comprising exposed lead side surfaces as well as exposed front and back surface portions above an electrolyte-air interface of said cell, and which metal mesh surface member has a multitude of voids exposing the lead base underlying said voids, with said valve metal mesh surface member extending at least substantially from side edge to side edge across at least one of said broad front and back surfaces of said base, while extending from below the top edge of said base, but above said electrolyte-air interface of said cell, to at least substantially the bottom edge of said lead base, which valve metal mesh surface member has a front, active major face presenting an electrochemically active surface in mesh form for said compound electrode, and a back major face which faces a broad surface of the lead base, and wherein said mesh surface member is combined with said lead base in electrically conductive contact.