Abstract
Methanesulfonic acid was proven to be an alternative lixiviant for copper leaching from chalcopyrite with hydrogen peroxide as an oxidant. Two alternative oxidants, dichromate and nitrate, were studied for the copper dissolution from chalcopyrite, a refractory copper sulfide mineral. During chalcopyrite leaching tests, both oxidants achieved the copper extraction above 90% in 30 g/L methanesulfonic acid at 75oC. The activation energies in dichromate and nitrate leaching systems were 23 and 43 kJ/mol, classified as mass transfer and chemical reaction-controlled mechanism, respectively. The XRD analysis of a leached residue showed a formation of K-Cr-jarosite from methanesulfonic acid-dichromate system. Methanesulfonic acid with nitrate leaching system could be the most effective and sustainable for chalcopyrite leaching based on the comparative investigation.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 390-401 |
| Number of pages | 12 |
| Journal | Mineral Processing and Extractive Metallurgy Review |
| Volume | 43 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 2022 |
Keywords
- Chalcopyrite
- alternative oxidants
- dichromate
- methanesulfonic acid
- nitrate
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Chemistry
- Geotechnical Engineering and Engineering Geology
- Mechanical Engineering
- Economic Geology