Abstract
The mining industry is facing emerging challenges as a result of the increase in energy consumption and environmental demands. These facts have promoted the use of renewable energy sources, such as wind, geothermal and, mainly, solar energy. This paper discusses the role of solar energy (UV-VIS-NIR) in leaching processes, evaluating its potential application in metal extraction from sulfide minerals, based on photochemical mechanisms that promote the regeneration of ferric iron or the so called ferrous iron cycling. The present paper discusses the possibility that ultraviolet, visible light and near infrared irradiation (e.g., sunlight provided) can assist the leaching processes in two main ways: by the oxidation of sulfide minerals through in-situ generated Fenton-like reactions, and by the photochemical activation of semiconductor minerals that contain transition metals (Fe, Cu, and Cr, among others). Thus, this paper provides theoretical support to move towards the future application of photoleaching, which consist of a leaching process assisted by UV, VIS, and NIR irradiation. This technology can be considered a promising mineral processing route, using direct photochemical solar energy that can reduce the energy consumption (electricity, fuels) and the environmental impact, opening an opportunity for an alternative method of metal extraction from sulfide ores.
Highlights
Today, the mining industry is facing new challenges and transformations due to economic and environmental issues
Considering the above, we propose that sulfide leaching can be enforced under specific irradiation and adequate control of physico-chemical parameters, by means of inducing photocorrosion of natural doped compounds [60] and transition metal oxides, promoting the metal release (Fe, Cd, Cu, and others), which can play an assistant role in the sulfide dissolution mechanism through the Fenton-like reaction [61,62]
According to an extensive analysis of the leaching mechanisms of sulfide minerals, we propose that the UV, VIS, and NIR irradiation can be used to enhance sulfide mineral leaching
Summary
The mining industry is facing new challenges and transformations due to economic and environmental issues. The mining but will generate an available capacity of treatment plants of leaching solution, which industry is investing in renewable energy sources such as wind, geothermal and, mainly, are typically solvent extraction with electrowinning plants. The goal of this paper is to discuss theRenewable potential role of the solar energy (UV-VISNIR) asIfan assistant for leaching of sulfide minerals (e.g., CuFeS and others) presenting we take Chile as a reference as the major copper-producing country in the worlda[7], theoretical inthe relation to the provided effect of the solar energy (UV-VIS-NIR irradiation) it can be support seen from predictions in economic studies that electrical consumpontion the oxidative decomposition mechanisms of mineral sulfides through in-situ generated by the copper mining industry will increase in the decade (2020–2030), from 23.6 photo-Fenton-like to 33.1 TWh [8]. The goal of this paper is to discuss theRenewable potential role of the solar energy (UV-VISNIR) asIfan assistant for leaching of sulfide minerals (e.g., CuFeS and others) presenting we take Chile as a reference as the major copper-producing country in the worlda[7], theoretical inthe relation to the provided effect of the solar energy (UV-VIS-NIR irradiation) it can be support seen from predictions in economic studies that electrical consumpontion the oxidative decomposition mechanisms of mineral sulfides through in-situ generated by the copper mining industry will increase in the decade (2020–2030), from 23.6 photo-Fenton-like to 33.1 TWh [8]. reactions
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