Abstract
Chalcopyrite in copper flotation concentrates can be hydrothermally converted to digenite directly with oxygen in a continuous process, provided the oxygen supply rate is stoichiomet-rically matched to the chalcopyrite feed rate. Substantial elimination of iron and sulfur can result and may be used to significantly increase smelter copper throughput. A simple process flowsheet is described with only three steps: regrind, hydrothermal conversion, and solid/liquid separa-tion. Fine particle size and autoclave temperatures above 200 °C provide a high conversion yield in residence times less than 1 hour using a single-stage mixing autoclave with good gas dis-persion. Extrapolated kinetic data from monosize particle batch conversion experiments were coupled with particle size distributions and ideal back-mix reactor residence time distributions to compute process yields for a continuous reactor. Optimum processing conditions are deduced.
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