Commercial copper mining operations convert CuS or CuO ore into copper metal by smelting the ore in air. Solid Cu produced in this fashion is ~99% pure. However, most Cu uses require Cu that is 99.99% or greater in purity. To remove that last ~1% of impurities, Cu smelting operations electrolytically refine Cu by placing impure Cu cathode ingots in a CuSO
and sulfuric acid mixture with a steel plate acting as the anode. The mixture is subjected to a voltage of 0.35 V and current of 380.0 amps. Cu is oxidized to Cu
(aq) ions, which migrate to the steel anode where they are reduced back to Cu(s). Any impurities in the copper (primarily Au, Ag, and Pt) precipitate into the solution. How long, in hours, must the company run this process to purify 200 pounds of Cu?
Commercial copper mining operations convert CuS or CuO ore into copper metal by smelting the ore in air. Solid Cu produced in this fashion is ~99% pure. However, most Cu uses require Cu that is 99.99% or greater in purity. To remove that last ~1% of impurities, Cu smelting operations electrolytically refine Cu by placing impure Cu cathode ingots in a CuSO and sulfuric acid mixture with a steel plate acting as the anode. The mixture is subjected to a voltage of 0.35 V and current of 380.0 amps. Cu is oxidized to Cu(aq) ions, which migrate to the steel anode where they are reduced back to Cu(s). Any impurities in the copper (primarily Au, Ag, and Pt) precipitate into the solution. How long, in hours, must the company run this process to purify 200 pounds of Cu?
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