In the copper smelting industry, the hydrometallurgical process of electrowinning copper from copper oxide ore has become an important production method due to its high efficiency and environmentally friendly advantages. The process primarily consists of three key steps: leaching, extraction, and electrowinning.

Leaching is the initial step of the entire process. After the copper oxide ore is crushed, it is sprayed or soaked with dilute sulfuric acid. During this process, the copper oxide reacts with the dilute sulfuric acid to produce a copper sulfate solution, which also contains other impurities. This leachate contains copper and other impurities. This step provides the raw material base for subsequent copper extraction.

The extraction step plays a key role in separation and purification. The leachate is mixed with a specially prepared organic phase. Due to the organic phase's selectivity for copper, copper is extracted into the organic phase, thereby achieving a preliminary separation from impurities in the aqueous phase. The copper-laden organic phase is then mixed with a lean electrolyte. At this point, copper is extracted from the organic phase into the aqueous phase, forming a pure, highly concentrated rich electrolyte. Through extraction and stripping, the purity and concentration of the copper are effectively increased.

Electrowinning is the final step in obtaining a high-purity copper product. Rich electrolyte is fed into the electrolytic cell and supplied with direct current. Under the influence of the electric field, copper ions migrate toward the cathode and deposit there, gradually forming a high-purity cathode copper plate. Simultaneously, the electrolysis process produces lean electrolyte, which is returned to the extraction process for further use, thus achieving resource recycling.

The hydrometallurgical process for electrowinning copper from copper oxide ore, through scientifically designed steps, achieves efficient copper extraction and purification, providing reliable technical support for the development of the copper industry.