Intermittent Dynamic Electrowinning Using Renewable Energy

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Element 25’s (E25) Pilot studies for Intermittent Dynamic Electrowinning (IDE) Using Renewable Energy Project will examine the viability of using renewable energy to power E25’s Butcherbird metal production process in Western Australia.One of the main products produced from Butcherbird is electrolytic manganese metal (EMM). Producing EMM requires an energy-intensive process called electrowinning, which involves passing a current through a solution to recover metals such as manganese. This process traditionally relies on grid-connected power sources that can provide a steady flow of generation. However, such sources are not readily available at the remote location of the Butcherbird project.E25 will conduct pilot activities to determine the viability of using approximately 60 to 90 per cent renewable energy (such as wind and solar) to power the electrowinning process without reducing the quality of the product.Key resultsThe Pilot Studies for Intermittent Dynamic Electrowinning using Renewable Energy aim to determine the applicability of the use of renewable energy within the production of Electrolytic Manganese Metal (EMM).In the first phase of the project, optimal EMM electrolytic operating parameters were determined in a laboratory environment and the impacts of power supply fluctuations on the electrowinning process were analysed.It was found that high grade (>99%Mn) EMM could be produced from the Butcherbird manganese ores, but often the EMM produced was not able to be easily removed from the cathodes following electrolysis.12 months of solar radiance and wind data were collected from the Butcherbird Minesite as part of the second phase of the project.The third phase of the project involved a full-scale evaluation of the production of EMM using the real-world power supply based on results of phase 2 data.The studies showed that there are a number of pre-treatment options including both physical preparation of the cathodes as well as chemical treatments that assisted in the removal of the manganese from the cathodes.

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