Abstract
In ores, chalcopyrite is usually associated with other sulfide minerals, such as sphalerite, galena, and pyrite, in a dispersed form, with complex mineralogical structures. Concentrates obtained by flotation of such ores are unsuitable for pyrometallurgical processing owing to their poor quality and low metal recovery. This paper presents the leaching of chalcopyrite concentrate from the location “Rudnik, Serbia”. The samples from the flotation plant were treated with hydrogen peroxide in sulfuric acid. The influences of temperature, particle size, stirring speed, as well as the concentrations of hydrogen peroxide and sulfuric acid were followed and discussed. Hence, the main objective was to optimize the relevant conditions and to determine the reaction kinetics. It was remarked that the increase in temperature, hydrogen peroxide content, and sulfuric acid concentration, as well as the decrease in particle size and stirring speed, contribute to the dissolution of chalcopyrite. The dissolution kinetics follow a model controlled by diffusion, and the lixiviant diffusion controls the rate of reaction through the sulfur layer. Finally, the main characterization methods used to corroborate the obtained results were X-ray diffraction (XRD) as well as qualitative and quantitative light microscopy of the chalcopyrite concentrate samples and the leach residue.
Highlights
The global demand for copper is increasing while its content in mined ores decreases
The contact surface between oxidant and chalcopyrite increases, for smaller particles compared to large ones, significantly improving copper extraction; particles with size −37 μm was used for testing other parameters
The copper extraction yield increased with increasing sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide concentrations and with smaller particles
Summary
The global demand for copper is increasing while its content in mined ores decreases. Copper producers are forced to cope with low-grade ores dominated by chalcopyrite [1,2]. Due to the complex mineralogy and/or presence of toxic chemical elements, such as arsenic, some ores are not suitable for concentration by froth flotation. Leaching of copper from chalcopyrite requires the presence of the oxidants in an acidic environment; some of the frequently present oxidants are: the ferric ions [3,4,5,6,7,8,9], the cupric ions [10,11,12], some acidophilic bacteria [13,14,15,16,17,18], the nitrate ions [19,20], the nitrite ions [21,22], the dichromate ions [23,24], the manganese ions [25,26], the permanganate ions [27], the chlorate ions [28], the oxygen ions [29,30,31,32,33,34], ozone [35], the silver ions [36,37], and the use of microwaves [38,39]
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