Abstract:

The commissioning of any commercial plant is one of the most important phases in project execution. While laboratory-scale tests, a pilot operation and thorough engineering provide an indispensable foundation, it is still often challenging to capture the complexity of full-scale operations. Conducting structured trials and testwork within an existing operating plant offers a unique opportunity to validate process assumptions under realistic conditions, significantly reducing technical and financial risks during commissioning.

Aurubis is currently building a new precious metals refinery with expected commissioning in 2027. Operational trials have allowed us to simulate key aspects of the new flowsheet in order to more completely evaluate new prototype operating equipment, feed variability and process dynamics.

In this publication we are discussing these three trials in further detail:

Long-term test of ion exchange columns for palladium control in silver electrorefining
Equipment testing for combined: silver crystal sieving, washing and drying
Assessment of a silver refining prototype cell with improved safety, automation readiness and optimized process robustness

All testwork was conducted in the existing precious metals plant at the Hamburg site. The information and data collected have been used for the final design of the new plant and we aim to reduce the technical and process risk during commissioning.

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Dr. Bernhard Wahl