Abstract
Sulfamic acid (SA), which possesses a zwitterionic structure, was applied as a leaching reagent for the first time for extracting copper from copper oxide ore. The effects of reaction time, temperature, particle size, reagent concentration, and stirring speed on this leaching were studied. The dissolution kinetics of malachite was illustrated with a three-dimensional diffusion model. A novel leaching effect of SA on malachite was eventually demonstrated. The leaching rate increased with decreasing particle size and increasing concentration, reaction temperature and stirring speed. The activation energy for SA leaching malachite was 33.23 kJ/mol. Furthermore, the effectiveness of SA as a new reagent for extracting copper from copper oxide ore was confirmed by experiment. This approach may provide a solution suitable for subsequent electrowinning. In addition, results reported herein may provide basic data that enable the leaching of other carbonate minerals of copper, zinc, cobalt and so on in an SA system.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
M.E. Arzutug, M.M. Kocakerim, and M. Çopur, Leaching of malachite ore in NH3-saturated water, Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., 43(2004), No. 15, p. 4118.
A. Künkül, A. Gülezgin, and N. Demirkiran, Investigation of the use of ammonium acetate as an alternative lixiviant in the leaching of malachite ore, Chem. Ind. Chem. Eng. Q., 19(2013), No. 1, p. 25.
Ph. Muchez and M. Corbella, Factors controlling the precipitation of copper and cobalt minerals in sediment-hosted ore deposits: advances and restrictions, J. Geochem. Explor., 118(2012), p. 38.
J. Peacey, X.J. Guo, and E. Robles, Copper hydrometallurgy-current status, preliminary economics, future direction and positioning versus smelting, Trans. Nonferrous Met. Soc. China, 14(2004), No. 3, p. 560.
M.M. Antonijević, M.D. Dimitrijević, Z.O. Stevanović, S.M. Serbula, and G.D. Bogdanovic, Investigation of the possibility of copper recovery from the flotation tailings by acid leaching, J. Hazard. Mater., 158(2008), No. 1, p. 23.
J. Viñals, A. Roca, M.C. Hernández, and O. Benavente, Topochemical transformation of enargite into copper oxide by hypochlorite leaching, Hydrometallurgy, 68(2003), No. 1–3, p. 183.
N. Habbache, N. Alane, S. Djerad, and L. Tifouti, Leaching of copper oxide with different acid solutions, Chem. Eng. J., 152(2009), No. 2–3, p. 503.
E.B. Melchiorre, G.R. Huss, and A. Lopez, CO3]·H2O) and malachite (Cu2CO3(OH)2), Chem. Geol., 367(2014), p. 63.
D. Bingöl and M. Canbazoğlu, Dissolution kinetics of malachite in sulphuric acid, Hydrometallurgy, 72(2004), No. 1–2, p. 159.
H. Naderi, M. Abdollahy, N. Mostoufi, M.J. Koleini, S.A. Shojaosadati, and Z. Manafi, Kinetics of chemical leaching of chalcopyrite from low grade copper ore: behavior of different size fractions, Int. J. Miner. Metall. Mater., 18(2011), No. 6, p. 638.
Z.X. Liu, Z.L. Yin, H.P. Hu, and Q.Y. Chen, Leaching kinetics of low-grade copper ore containing calcium-magnesium carbonate in ammonia-ammonium sulfate solution with persulfate, Trans. Nonferrous Met. Soc. China, 22(2012), No. 11, p. 2822.
S. Helle and U. Kelm, Experimental leaching of atacamite, chrysocolla and malachite: relationship between copper retention and cation exchange capacity, Hydrometallurgy, 78(2005), p. 180.
O.N. Ata, S. Çolak, Z. Ekinci, and M. Çopur, Determination of the optimum conditions for leaching of malachite ore in H2SO4 solutions, Chem. Eng. Technol., 24(2001), No. 4, p. 409.
M. Mena and F. Olson, Leaching of chrysocolla with ammonia-ammonium carbonate solutions, Metall. Trans. B, 16(1985), No. 3, p. 441.
P.D. Oudenne and F.A. Olson, Leaching kinetics of malachite in ammonium carbonate solutions, Metall. Trans. B, 14(1983), No. 1, p. 33.
A. Künkül, M.M. Kocakerim, S. Yapici, and A. Demirbag, Leaching kinetics of malachite in ammonia solutions, Int. J. Miner. Process., 41(1994), No. 3-4, p. 167.
X. Wang, Q.Y. Chen, H.P. Hu, Z.L. Yin, and Z.L. Xiao, Solubility prediction of malachite in aqueous ammoniacal ammonium chloride solutions at 25°C, Hydrometallurgy, 99(2009), No. 3-4, p. 231.
T. Çalban, S. Çolak, and M. Yeşilyurt, Optimization of leaching of copper from oxidized copper ore in NH3-(NH4)2SO4 medium, Chem. Eng. Commun., 192(2005), No. 11, p. 1515.
A. Ekmekyapar, E. Aktaş, A. Künkül, and N. Demirkiran, Investigation of leaching kinetics of copper from malachite ore in ammonium nitrate solutions, Metall. Mater. Trans. B, 43(2012), No. 4, p. 764.
Y. Awakura, T. Hirato, A. Kagawa, Y. Yamada, and H. Majima, Dissolution of malachite in aqueous ethylenediaminetetraacetate solution, Metall. Trans. B, 22(1991), p. 569.
D.D. Wu, S.M. Wen, J. Yang, J.S. Deng, and L. Jiang, Dissolution kinetics of malachite as an alternative copper source with an organic leach reagent, J. Chem. Eng. Jpn., 46(2013), No. 10, p. 677.
S. Ameen, V. Ali, M. Zulfequar, M.M. Haq, and M. Husain, Electrical conductivity and dielectric properties of sulfamic acid doped polyaniline, Curr. Appl Phys., 7(2007), No. 2, p. 215.
F.J. Xiong, D.B. Zhou, Z.P. Xie, and Y.Y. Chen, A study of the Ce3+/Ce4+ redox couple in sulfamic acid for redox battery application, Appl. Energy, 99(2012), p. 291.
J.S. Yadav, P. Purushothama Rao, D. Sreenu, R. Srinivasa Rao, V. Naveen Kumar, K. Nagaiah, and A.R. Prasad, Sulfamic acid: an efficient, cost-effective and recyclable solid acid catalyst for the Friedlander quinoline synthesis, Tetrahedron Lett., 46(2005), No. 42, p. 7249.
S.K. De, Sulfamic acid as a novel, efficient, cost-effective, and reusable solid acid catalyst for the synthesis of pyrroles under solvent-free conditions, Synth. Commun., 38(2008), No. 5, p. 803.
R.L. Sass, A neutron diffraction study on the crystal structure of sulfamic acid, Acta Crystallogr., 13(1960), No. 4, p. 320.
F.A. Kanda and A.J. King, The crystal structure of sulfamic acid, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 73(1951), No. 5, p. 2315.
Q.F. Yi, Automatic generation of potential-pH diagrams for the Cu-NH3-H2O system using concentration comparison, J. Xiantan Min. Inst., 15(2000), No. 2, p. 57.
C.K. Dickinson and G.R. Heal, Solid-liquid diffusion controlled rate equations, Thermochim. Acta, 340–341(1999), p. 89.
O. Levenspiel, Chemical Reaction Engineering, Wiley, New York, 1972, p. 2.
L.M. Sekhukhune, F. Ntuli, and E. Muzenda, Atmospheric oxidative and non-oxidative leaching of Ni-Cu matte by acidified ferric chloride solution, J. S. Afr. Inst. Min. Metall., 114(2014), No. 5, p. 401.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding authors
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Deng, Js., Wen, Sm., Deng, Jy. et al. Extracting copper from copper oxide ore by a zwitterionic reagent and dissolution kinetics. Int J Miner Metall Mater 22, 241–248 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12613-015-1067-1
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12613-015-1067-1