Oxidation mechanism of pyrite in a thiosulfate solution: electrochemical impedance (EIS) and in situ Raman spectroscopy

Abstract

Ammoniacal thiosulfate has been used lately as an alternative lixiviant for leaching gold from sulfides ores which are not amenable for cyanidation. However, the oxidation of the sulfide minerals generates products that inhibit the dissolution of gold and can promote the degradation of the leaching solution. The complexity of the ammoniacal thiosulfate leaching system has prevented the unification and clarification of the mechanisms of oxidation of sulfide ores used for gold extraction.In this study, a method combining polarization curves, Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and in situ Raman spectroscopy was implemented to investigate the oxidation process of high-purity pyrite. Pyrite samples were dispersed in carbon paste electrode (CPE-Py). The polarization curves of CPE-Py exhibited an increase in current values for overpotentials greater than 0.1 V, indicating the initiation of mineral oxidation processes. Subsequently, a maximum current was observed initially, followed by subsequent decrease, indicating the occurrence of passivation processes on the electrode surface. Hydrodynamic polarization curves demonstrated that the overpotential at which the passivation process occurs is independent of mass transport, suggesting that the passivation products were formed through solid-state transformation.Impedance spectra revealed that at overpotentials below 0.1 V, a partially resolved capacitive semicircle was observed, which was associated with the resistance encountered when charge was transferred between the solution and the surface layer interface. This resistance decreased as the polarization overpotential increased, implying a decrease in charge transfer kinetics. At higher overpotentials (0.3 V–0.4 V), a second capacitive semicircle appeared, linked to the oxidation of one or several species present in the mineral.In situ Raman spectroscopy was utilized to identify the oxidation species of pyrite in ammonia-thiosulfate ((NH4)2S2O3) leaching solution at a pH = 10.2. The composition of the species varied depending on the applied anodic potential. At low anodic potentials (0.1 V), Fe(OH)2 and thiosulfate (S2O32−) were formed, while at high anodic potentials (0.4 V), iron products such as Fe3O4 and γ-FeOOH, as well as sulfide species including thiosulfate, tetrathionates and sulfates (S2O32−, S4O6−2 and SO42−) were formed.