Electrolytic antimony production is the core technology of hydrometallurgical antimony refining; compared to traditional pyrometallurgical methods, it offers advantages such as higher recovery rates and environmental friendliness. Modern production lines utilize automated equipment to achieve continuous production, transforming raw materials into high-purity products.

Process Overview and Core Equipment

The process begins with the fabrication of anode plates from crude antimony. These are placed alongside cathodes in electrolytic cells, where direct current causes antimony to deposit onto the cathodes. Continuous slab and ingot casting machines process the cathodic product into standardized plates and ingots, ensuring uniform specifications. An automatic cathode stripping machine separates the deposited antimony, significantly boosting efficiency. A refining furnace is employed for final purification.

Off-gas Treatment and By-product Recovery

Regarding environmental protection, dust-laden off-gases are first collected and treated by dust collectors to ensure emissions meet regulatory standards. The recovered dust is packaged by an automatic antimony oxide packaging machine as antimony oxide powder—a by-product with a purity exceeding 99.95%—serving as a high-quality raw material for industries such as flame retardant manufacturing.

Quality Control and Technical Advantages

This process yields high-purity cast plates and ingots (purity >99.95%). The application of slurry electrolysis technology—which integrates leaching, purification, and electrowinning into a single electrolytic cell—not only simplifies the workflow but also effectively resolves challenges related to separating impurities like arsenic and iron, resulting in a significant increase in metal recovery rates. This integrated equipment suite exemplifies the industry's shift toward cleaner, more efficient, and intelligent antimony smelting.