Pulse-constructed energy–saving PbO2 electrode for copper electrowinning

•A highly active and long life PbO2 electrode were obtained.•The current efficiency is higher (91.6 %), and energy consumption is lower (1855.1 kW·h/t).•The electrode life is increased by approximately 99.4 %.•The mechanism of action of pulse and direct current deposition was proposed. Energy-saving PbO2 exhibit significant application potential in the non-ferrous metal electrowinning industry. By optimizing the deposition time, heteropolar spacing, nitric acid concentration, pulse current density and pulse frequency, the optimum conditions for deposition of PbO2 electrode were obtained. Meanwhile, the effects of electrodeposition parameters on the electrochemical performance, phase structure and morphology of β-PbO2 were systematically evaluated. The mechanism of action of pulse and direct current deposition was proposed. The simulated copper electrowinning experiment shows that an improved current efficiency (91.6 %) was achieved and the low energy consumption (1855.1 kW⋅h/t) for copper production per ton was significantly reduced. Compared with the electrode prepared by direct current deposition, the current efficiency of copper is increased by 4.3 % and the energy consumption is reduced by 198.6 kWh/t. Additionally, the PbO2 electrode produced by the optimized pulse deposition process exhibits excellent stability, which service-time is increased by approximately 99.4 %. This research offers insights for developing energy-efficient and long-lived electrode materials. PbO2 electrode was prepared by pulse electrodeposition and used for copper electrowinning. Pulse electrodeposition refines the grain size and makes the PbO2 coating denser and flatter. Compared with the direct current mode, it significantly reduces energy consumption and improves efficiency. [Display omitted]