Review of Progress on Computational Modeling and Simulation of the Zinc Electrowinning Production Process

AbstractZinc is an important energy material in the battery industry. Modeling and simulation are less expensive and more efficient ways to study and optimize the zinc electrowinning process. A critical review of research related to models and simulations of this process is presented herein, along with associated equations and methodologies. These equations or models are categorized into four different but closely related types: empirical equations for current efficiency prediction, equations for the related parameters in the electrowinning process, fundamental electrochemical models, and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models. These equations or models are focused on certain aspects of the zinc electrowinning process and are applied under specific conditions. However, most of them are simplified, and many significant aspects of the zinc electrowinning process are ignored, limiting their accuracy. Promising future developments regarding modeling and simulation of the zinc electrowinning process are discussed.

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