Abstract: This is a process to generate alternating current without an external source for cell-houses in electrowinning or electrorefining of copper or other products in which the electric source consists of a conventional rectifier-transformer group that supplies continuous electrical current to the cell-house, which is connected in parallel to a device characterized by having the capacity to extract an electrical current from the cell-house for a period of time and then return it in another period of time, whether periodically or semiperiodically and without changing the average value of the electrical current, supplied to the cell-house by the rectifier-transformer. This results in a electrical current in the cell-house that is the superimposition of a continuous and alternating current. This process is designed to overcome the barrier of electric potential produced by the presence of the pure continuous electric field in cell-houses through the electric agitation of an ion-rich electrolyte.

Abstract: This invention discloses a process of the electro-winning of metals, in particular copper, is done in a strongly acidic aqueous solution (˜180 gpl H2SO4), with permanent cathodes of stainless steel or Cu starting sheets, and Pb—Ca—Sn anodes, in tradition electrolysis cells to obtain copper cathodes wherein in the electrolytic cells, a sinusoidal current is super-imposed over the continuous current in order to produce high-purity electrolytic copper. This invention also discloses the electro-refining process of metals, in particular copper, is done in a strongly acidic aqueous solution (˜180 gpl H2SO4), with permanent cathodes of stainless steel or Cu starting sheets, and anodes of impure copper from founding, in traditional electrolysis cells in order to obtain copper cathodes wherein in the electrolytic cells, a sinusoidal current is super-imposed over the continuous current in order to produce high-purity electrolytic copper.