Abstract
The leaching of digenite concentrate in CuCl2-HCl-NaCl oxygenated solutions is very rapid. From the effect of variables on the leaching rate and measurements of the concentrations of cuprous and cupric species in the solution as a function of time, it was concluded that the leaching in O2 atmosphere proceeds by the attack of cupric ions on the copper sulfides to produce cuprous ions which are subsequently oxidized to cupric by the O2 present in the system. The kinetic study showed that the leaching proceeds in two sequential stages. In the first stage, the digenite is transformed to covellite, and in the second stage, the covellite is dissolved to copper and elemental sulfur. In the first stage, the fraction of copper extracted varied linearly with time according to α=k l t, whereas in the second stage, the dissolution of covellite was well represented by a shrinking core model controlled by diffusion through a porous product layer kinetic equation: 1−2/3α cv−(1−α cv)2/3=k cv t. The calculated activation energies were 15.8 and 80.0 kJ/mol for the first and second stages, respectively. These results were explained by an electrochemical mechanism of digenite dissolution.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
J.P. Wilson and W.W. Fisher: J. Met., 1981, vol. 33 (2), pp. 52–57.
M. Bonan, J.M. Demarthe, H. Renon, and F. Baratin: Metall. Trans. B, 1981, vol. 12B, pp. 269–74.
T. Hirato, H. Majima, and Y. Awakura: Metall. Trans. B, 1987, vol. 18B, pp. 31–39.
G.W. McDonald and S.H. Langer: Metall. Trans. B, 1983, vol. 14B, pp. 559–70.
G.W. McDonald, T.J. Udovic, J.A. Dumesic, and S.H. Langer: Hydrometallurgy, 1984, vol. 13, pp. 125–35.
K.J. Cathro: Proc. Aus. Inst. Min. Metall., 1974, vol. 252, pp. 1–11.
K.J. Cathro: in Extractive Metallurgy of Copper, J.C. Yannopoulos and J.C. Agarwal, es., AIME, New York, NY, 1976, pp. 776–92.
J.M. Demarthe, L. Gandon, and A. Georgeaux: in Extractive Metallurgy of Copper, J.C. Yannopoulos and J.C. Agarwal, eds., AIME, New York, NY, 1976, pp. 825–48.
G.E. Atwood and R.W. Livingstone: Erzmetallurgy, 1980, vol. 33 (5), pp. 251–55.
F. Habashi and T. Toor: Metall. Trans. B, 1979, vol. 10B, pp. 49–56.
W. Kunda, R. Hitesman, and H. Veltman: Extractive Metallurgy of Copper, J.C. Yannopoulos and J.C. Agarwal, eds., AIME, New York, NY, 1976, pp. 793–813.
T.K. Mukherjee, R.C. Hubli, and C.K. Gupta: Hydrometallurgy, 1985, vol. 15, pp. 25–32.
A.S. Jhaveri and M.M. Sharma: Chem. Eng. Sci., 1967, vol. 22, pp. 1–6.
T. Tran and D.A.J. Swinkels: Hydrometallurgy, 1986, vol. 15, pp. 281–95.
D. Beutier, J.P. Burzynsky, and Y. Torre: in Iron Control in Hydrometallurgy, J.E. Dutrizac and A.J. Monhemius, eds., Ellis Horwood Limited, West Sussex, 1986, pp. 640–56.
C.Y. Cheng and F. Lawson: Hydrometallurgy, 1991, vol. 27, pp. 249–68.
T. Hirato, M. Kinoshita, Y. Awakura, and H. Majima: Metall. Trans. B, 1986, vol. 17B, pp. 19–28.
M.L. O’Malley and K.C. Liddell: Metall. Trans. B, 1987, vol. 18B, pp. 505–10.
P.T. Davey and T.R. Scott: Trans. Inst. Min. Meta.l. C, 1975, vol. 84, pp. 83–86.
M.H. Mao and E. Peters: in Hydrometallurgy: Research, Development and Plant Practice, K. Osseo-Assare and J.D. Miller, eds., AIME, Warrendale, PA, 1983, pp. 243–60.
J.A. King, A.R. Burkin, and R.C.H. Ferreira: Leaching and Reduction in Hydrometallurgy, A.R. Burkin, ed., Institution of Mining and Metallurgy, London, 1975, pp. 36–45.
P. Neou-Singouna and G. Fourlaris: Hydrometallurgy, 1990, vol. 23, pp. 203–20.
M.E. Wadsworth: in Rate Processes of Extractive Metallurgy, H.Y. Sohn and M.E. Wadsworth, eds., Plenum Press, New York, NY, 1979, pp. 133–86.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ruiz, M.C., Honores, S. & Padilla, R. Leaching kinetics of digenite concentrate in oxygenated chloride media at ambient pressure. Metall Mater Trans B 29, 961–969 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11663-998-0064-4
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11663-998-0064-4