Abstract
The low grade of copper deposits and the use of the froth flotation process have caused excessive tailing production. In recent years, experts have looked for new alternative methods to improve this situation. Black copper minerals are abundant resources not exploited by large-scale copper mining and possess high Mn concentrations. On the other hand, manganese nodules are submarine resources and show high concentrations of Cu, Ni, Fe, and, mainly, Mn. However, both mineral resources are refractory to conventional leaching processes, and so a reducing agent is necessary for their treatment. We studied the use of tailings obtained from the flotation of foundry slags with a high content of Fe3O4 as reducing agents at different MnO2/tailings ratios and H2SO4 concentrations. Mn dissolution was compared in marine nodule and black copper minerals samples. It was found that higher Mn dissolutions are obtained from marine nodules, likely due to the acid consumption created by Cu dissolution from black copper minerals. The remnant elements in manganese nodules were leached under an oxidant condition.
Highlights
The low grade of copper deposits and the use of the froth flotation process have caused excessive tailing production
New alternatives are sought, such as the extraction of other elements such as copper ore byproducts, waste generated by the industry, and even the exploitation of sea resources, which has become a promising solution [4,5]
A comparative study was made between the acid-reducing leaching of Mn between black copper minerals and marine nodules in the present investigation
Summary
Due to the decrease in copper grades in the earth’s crust, mining countries such as. Chile have been forced to change their production systems, which were mainly based on copper sulfides treated by froth flotation methods [1,2,3]. Black copper minerals are considered waste by large-scale copper mining and are not added to heap leaching These are found in deposits known as “exotic copper deposits”, created by the interaction with geological agents, which oxidizes porphyry minerals such as pyrite (Py) [14,15,16]. A comparative study was made between the acid-reducing leaching of Mn between black copper minerals and marine nodules in the present investigation. It evaluates tailings as a reducing agent at different MnO2 /tailings ratios and uses H2 SO4 concentrations to identify the difference between MnO2 dissolution speeds.
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