Abstract
The purpose of this study was to develop a mathematical model to describe the oxidation of cyanide with SO2, as proposed in the Inco Process. This research employed a direct method for measuring the change in cyanide concentration, with respect to time, as affected by varying pH, temperature and concentrations of SO2 and copper. This model may have applications for determining optimum conditions for a process well known and used in the mining industry. It was determined that the reaction is first-order with respect to [CN−], [SO2] and [Cu+2]. The reaction order is 0.1, or zeroth order, with respect to [H+], for a pH range of 8.0 to 9.5. The activation energy, Ea, is 28.5 kJ/mol. Given D = ([SO2]0 − [CN−]0), the overall rate equation was determined to be ln{([CN−]0([CN−]t + D))/([CN−]t([CN−]0) + D))} = ke−28500/RT D[Cu+2][H+]0.1 t, where the subscripts denote concentrations with respect to time (t).
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Oleson, J.L., Lin, H.K. & Walsh, D.E. Modeling of SO2/air cyanide destruction process. Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration 22, 199–204 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03403323
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03403323