Electrolytic Industry Application Case Study

Project Background & Strategic Significance

Headline: Powering Global Mining Operations with Precision Titanium Solutions​

As a core supplier to a top-tier global mining group, Baoji Special Steel Titanium Industry has delivered over 50,000 high-performance titanium cathode plates in the past three years, establishing itself as an indispensable technical partner in their electrolytic smelting supply chain. This scale of collaboration not only demonstrates our manufacturing capacity but also reflects our professional commitment to providing durable and reliable solutions for demanding industrial environments.

In-Depth Collaboration Analysis

1. Client Requirements & Industry Challenges

Specific Demands of Mining Electrolysis:

• Extreme Chemical Environment:​High-concentration copper/nickel sulfate electrolytes containing chloride ions and organic impurities.
• Mechanical Strength Requirements:​Structural fatigue resistance under frequent extraction and cleaning cycles (hundreds of cycles daily).
• Dimensional Stability:​Plate flatness directly affects metal deposition uniformity and stripping efficiency.
• Long-Term Economics:​Equipment service life must exceed 5 years under 24/7 continuous operation.

Limitations of Traditional Materials:

• Stainless Steel Cathodes: Pitting corrosion and deformation after 1-2 years, affecting copper foil quality.
• Aluminum Cathodes: Good conductivity but poor corrosion resistance, requiring frequent replacement.

2. Our Solution

Core Technological Breakthroughs:

Material Innovation:

• Visual Suggestions:

1. Titanium cathodes in operational electrolytic cells.
2. Comparison image: titanium vs. stainless-steel cathode after 3 years of service.
3. Close-up of the insulated edge treatment on a titanium cathode.

Proprietary Process System:

Process Stage      Technological Innovation              Quality Metrics

Sheet Selection │Ultra-low oxygen pure Ti (Gr.1)│O≤800ppm, thickness tol.±0.05mm

Surface Treatment│Dual-side grit blasting +    │Surface roughness Ra 2.5-3.5μm,

                │anodic oxidation              │oxide film thickness 5-8μm

Edge Insulation │High-temp sprayed epoxy-PTFE  │Insulation thickness 0.8-1.2mm,

                │composite coating             │electrolyte permeation resist.>5yrs

Lug Manufacturing│Integrated stamping + rib    │Load test ≥300kg,

                │reinforcement design          │fatigue life >500,000 cycles

Conductor Bar   │Copper-Titanium explosive     │Interfacial shear strength >140MPa,

                │cladding technology           │resistivity increase <5%

Quality Control Data:

• Product Consistency:​8% thickness tolerance compliance across 50,000 plates.
• Corrosion Resistance:​Annual corrosion rate <0.03mm/year in 60°C electrolyte.
• Insulation Longevity:​Accelerated aging tests show <15% insulation performance degradation after 5 years.
• Client Testimonial:
• "Since fully adopting Baoji Special Steel's titanium cathodes, our copper electrolysis plant in Chile has achieved three major improvements: 1) Cathode replacement cycles extended from 18 months to 5 years; 2) Grade-A copper output rate increased from 87% to 94%; 3) Short-circuit failures caused by cathode deformation decreased by 90%. These 50,000 titanium plates not only reduced direct procurement costs but, more importantly, provided reliable assurance for continuous production."
• — Global Procurement Director, Client Mining Group