Abstract
The reductive leaching (decomposition) of chalcopyrite was studied in an attempt to find a suitable hydrometallurgical method for copper recovery. A chalcopyrite concentrate was leached under reducing conditions, where metallic iron served as a reductant. The studied parameters include agitation, temperature, particle size, acidity, and reductant and chalcopyrite amounts. The experimental results showed that it is possible to convert the refractory chalcopyrite to a rich copper sulfide (chalcocite), which is amenable to further treatment. The results of kinetic analysis of the leaching data under various experimental conditions indicated a reaction controlled by the solution transport of protons through the product layer, with an activation energy of 33.9 kJ/mol for sulfate media and 22.4 kJ/mol for chloride media. Based on the shrinking core model, the following rate equation was established for sulfate media: 1−3(1−X b ) 2/3+2(1−X b )= k o ′ R 2 [ H +] exp −33,880 R′T t and for chloride media, 1−3(1−X b ) 2/3+2(1−X b )= k o ″ R 2 [ H +] exp −22,423 R′T t The results of the kinetic analysis were utilized in developing a simple process for producing copper super-concentrates. The process still needs further investigation to demonstrate its viability.
Published Version
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