Acid Mist Suppressant: A Non-fluoro Environmentally Friendly Surfactant to Reduce Acid Mist Formation in Copper Electrowinning

This chapter delves into the critical issue of acid mist suppression in copper electrowinning, focusing on the development of non-fluorine-based surfactants as a sustainable alternative to traditional fluorine-based additives. The study evaluates the performance of two proprietary additives against industry benchmarks, highlighting their effectiveness in reducing acid mist, improving copper recovery, and maintaining cathode quality. Key topics include the environmental impact of acid mist, the methodology for testing surfactants, and the comparative analysis of different additives. The results demonstrate that the proprietary additives achieve comparable acid mist suppression rates and copper recovery percentages to established benchmarks, without the environmental drawbacks. This research underscores the potential of non-fluorine-based surfactants to enhance operational efficiency and worker safety in the mining industry, offering a promising solution for sustainable metal refining processes.