EXTRACTION ELECTROLYTIQUE D'ELEMENTS METALLIQUES

PROCESS FOR ELECTROWINNIMG OF METALS ABSTRACT An electrowinning process for the recovery ofvarious metals including copper, zinc and nickel from anaqueous electrolyte in an electrolytic cell containinganodes and cathodes is disclosed wherein the anodes areformed from a lead alloy containing from about 0.05% toabout 0.25% by weight strontium. The lead alloy for theanodes also preferably includes from about 0.005% toabout 0.1% by weight aluminum alone or in furthercombination with either about 001% to about 5.0% by weighttin or at least 0.01% by weight silver, the lead alloyanodes having a hard, adherent oxide surface layerpreferably formed in situ within the electrolytic ceil.