Electrowinning of iron from sulphate solutions

During a 10 years period from 1947 to 1957, a research group at the smelter owned by Orkla Grube-Aktiebolag at Thamshavn, Norway, developed the so-called Pyror Process, the aim of which was to take care of all the valuable components in the copper-bearing pyrite ore being produced at the nearby Lِkken mine. The present paper describes pilot plant operation of the crucial step of this process, which is electrowinning of iron from a sulphuric acid solution, using iron starting sheets and lead anodes surrounded by a diaphragm. High purity iron was produced, with a current yield of 85% and a power consumption of 4.25 kWh/kg iron.