Complaint
Crude copper (containing 99% copper) is pre-made into thick plates as anode, pure copper is made into thin plates as cathode, and the mixed solution of sulfuric acid and copper sulfate is used as electrolyte. After electrification, copper dissolves into copper ions (Cu) from the anode and moves to the cathode. After reaching the cathode, electrons are obtained and pure copper (also called electrolytic copper) is precipitated from the cathode. Impurities in crude copper, such as iron and zinc, which are more active than copper, will dissolve with copper into ions (Zn and Fe). Because these ions are not easy to precipitate compared with copper ions, the precipitation of these ions on the cathode can be avoided by properly adjusting the potential difference during electrolysis. Impurities less active than copper, such as gold and silver, are deposited at the bottom of the electrolytic cell. The copper sheet produced in this way, called "electrolytic copper", is of high quality and can be used to make electrical products.
