EFFECTS OF FLOW AND ELECTRICAL ARRANGEMENT ON THE PERFORMANCE OF SOME SIMPLE ELECTROCHEMICAL REACTOR SYSTEMS.

The designer of electrochemical reactors is faced with a wide choice of operating strategies and, especially in multi-cell systems, with alternative methods of flow and electrical connection. Here, some reactor systems of the type which might be used for the recovery of metals from aqueous solutions are analysed and three specific systems discussed: (i) multi-cell cathode systems with single pass of electrolyte, with varying connection methods; (ii) a two cell, single reservoir system with batch recirculation of the electrolyte and galvanostatic operation; and (iii) a single cell single reservoir batch recirculating system with continuous feed and take-off in four distinct locations. Reactors are considered to operate under diffusion-controlled kinetics and plug flow conditions and reservoirs are considered to be well mixed.