M.R. Shojaei - Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran,
G.R. Khayati - Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Iran
N. Assadat Yaghubi - Research & Development Center, Shahrbabak Copper Complex, National Iranian Copper Industries Company, Kerman, Iran
F. Bagheri Sharebabaki - Supervisor of Copper Electrorefining Operation, Khatoonabad copper refinery, Shahrebabak copper complex, National Iranian copper industries company, Kerman, Iran
S.M.J Khorasani - Senior metallurgical engineer, Process control unit, Khatoonabad copper refinery, Shahrebabak copper complex, National Iranian copper industries company, Kerman, Iran

Removing of arsenic and antimony from electrolyte of copper electrorefining plant by cooling treatment is the subject of current study. In this regards, the temperature of various electrolyte samples reduce to ۵, ۱۰, ۱۵ and ۲۰ °C and hold at different times without any turbulency. Experimental results reveal that decreasing the temperature of the electrolyte, facilitate the deposition of As and Sb in the form of AsO۵Sb, AsO۴Sb and As۲O۳ as the white precipitate at a critical time. Also, in the case of the electrolyte retention times exceed than the critical time, the copper content of electrolyte precipitate as blue phase. Typically, it is possible to remove ۲۷ wt.% of Sb and ۶ wt.% of As by the cooling of the electrolyte to ۵ ᵒC after ۸ h. It seems that due to the biocompatibility, the lack of need to the complex technology and its simplicity, the proposed method is a suitable alternative to the common approaches for the removal of antimony and arsenic from industrial electrolyte

Antimony, Arsenic Copper, cooling, Electrorefining