Thermal Decomposition of Arsenopyrite by Microwave Heating and the Effect of Removal Arsenic with Wet-magnetic separation

Abstract

In order to transform arsenopyrite into pyrrhotite and to decrease As content by less than 2,000 mg/kg, pulp sample and non-magnetic pulp sample were heated in a microwave oven at different heating times and were separated through wet-magnetic separation. As the microwave heating time increased, the phase of pyrrhotite was extended to become arsenopyrite entirely. The melting pores and micro-cracks occurred on the pyrrhotite due to hot spot phenomenon with microwave heating. The heated raw pulp sample (As content : 19,970.13 mg/kg) and non-magnetic pulp sample (As content : 19,970.13 mg/kg) which were heated in a microwave oven for 10 minutes were separated through wet-magnetic separation and magnetic fraction containing less than 2,000 mg/kg of As content was recovered only from the heated sample of magnetic separation. It was discovered that for the sulfide complex ore with As penalty imposed on, if microwave heating and wet-magnetic separation are effectively utilized, magnetic fraction. We expect to be able to obtain ore minerals with an arsenic content below the penalty charge.