Structural modelling for the dissolution of non-porous ores: dissolution with sporulation

Abstract

This article develops a structural model for the dissolution of non-porous ore particles, referred to as “sporulation” kinetics. This model is based on the assumption that the particulate can be modelled as an ensemble of reactive solid grains (e.g. metallic oxides) embedded into a solid matrix (gangue). The solid matrix may not be chemically inert with the result that, during the dissolution of the ore particle, the solid matrix “sporulates”, i.e. grains of the reactive solid are progressively released from the ore particle into the liquid solution, due either to mechanical fragmentation or to chemical dissolution of the matrix itself. This model is applied in order to interpret the dissolution kinetics of manganiferous ores, which differs significantly from the corresponding kinetic behaviour of pure MnO 2 particles.