Leaching Chalcocite in Chloride Media—A Review
Chalcocite is the most abundant secondary copper sulfide globally, with the highest copper content, and is easily treated by conventional hydrometallurgical processes, making it a very profitable mineral for extraction. Among the various leaching processes to treat chalcocite, chloride media show be...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2021-10-01
|
| Series: | Minerals |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/11/11/1197 |
| _version_ | 1797509259817123840 |
|---|---|
| author | Norman Toro Carlos Moraga David Torres Manuel Saldaña Kevin Pérez Edelmira Gálvez |
| author_facet | Norman Toro Carlos Moraga David Torres Manuel Saldaña Kevin Pérez Edelmira Gálvez |
| author_sort | Norman Toro |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Chalcocite is the most abundant secondary copper sulfide globally, with the highest copper content, and is easily treated by conventional hydrometallurgical processes, making it a very profitable mineral for extraction. Among the various leaching processes to treat chalcocite, chloride media show better results and have a greater industrial boom. Chalcocite dissolution is a two-stage process, the second being much slower than the first. During the second stage, in the first instance, it is possible to oxidize the covellite in a wide range of chloride concentrations or redox potentials (up to 75% extraction of Cu). Subsequently, CuS<sub>2</sub> is formed, which is to be oxidized. It is necessary to work at high concentrations of chloride (>2.5 mol/L) and/or increase the temperature to reach a redox potential of over 650 mV, which in turn decreases the thickness of the elemental sulfur layer on the mineral surface, facilitating chloride ions to generate a better porosity of this. Finally, it is concluded that the most optimal way to extract copper from chalcocite is, during the first stage, to work with high concentrations of chloride (50–100 g/L) and low concentrations of sulfuric acid (0.5 mol/L) at a temperature environment, as other variables become irrelevant during this stage if the concentration of chloride ions in the system is high. While in the second stage, it is necessary to increase the temperature of the system (moderate temperatures) or incorporate a high concentration of some oxidizing agent to avoid the passivation of the mineral. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T05:15:10Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d56471c37eb34391ba962ec7231d2f3b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2075-163X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T05:15:10Z |
| publishDate | 2021-10-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Minerals |
| spelling | doaj.art-d56471c37eb34391ba962ec7231d2f3b2023-11-23T00:31:44ZengMDPI AGMinerals2075-163X2021-10-011111119710.3390/min11111197Leaching Chalcocite in Chloride Media—A ReviewNorman Toro0Carlos Moraga1David Torres2Manuel Saldaña3Kevin Pérez4Edelmira Gálvez5Faculty of Engineering and Architecture, Universidad Arturo Prat, Iquique 1100000, ChileEscuela de Ingeniería Civil de Minas, Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad de Talca, Curicó 3340000, ChileFaculty of Engineering and Architecture, Universidad Arturo Prat, Iquique 1100000, ChileFaculty of Engineering and Architecture, Universidad Arturo Prat, Iquique 1100000, ChileDepartamento de Ingeniería Química y Procesos de Minerales, Universidad de Antofagasta, Antofagasta 1270300, ChileDepartamento de Ingeniería Metalúrgica y Minas, Universidad Católica del Norte, Antofagasta 1270709, ChileChalcocite is the most abundant secondary copper sulfide globally, with the highest copper content, and is easily treated by conventional hydrometallurgical processes, making it a very profitable mineral for extraction. Among the various leaching processes to treat chalcocite, chloride media show better results and have a greater industrial boom. Chalcocite dissolution is a two-stage process, the second being much slower than the first. During the second stage, in the first instance, it is possible to oxidize the covellite in a wide range of chloride concentrations or redox potentials (up to 75% extraction of Cu). Subsequently, CuS<sub>2</sub> is formed, which is to be oxidized. It is necessary to work at high concentrations of chloride (>2.5 mol/L) and/or increase the temperature to reach a redox potential of over 650 mV, which in turn decreases the thickness of the elemental sulfur layer on the mineral surface, facilitating chloride ions to generate a better porosity of this. Finally, it is concluded that the most optimal way to extract copper from chalcocite is, during the first stage, to work with high concentrations of chloride (50–100 g/L) and low concentrations of sulfuric acid (0.5 mol/L) at a temperature environment, as other variables become irrelevant during this stage if the concentration of chloride ions in the system is high. While in the second stage, it is necessary to increase the temperature of the system (moderate temperatures) or incorporate a high concentration of some oxidizing agent to avoid the passivation of the mineral.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/11/11/1197Cu<sub>2</sub>SCuSdissolutionchloride |
| spellingShingle | Norman Toro Carlos Moraga David Torres Manuel Saldaña Kevin Pérez Edelmira Gálvez Leaching Chalcocite in Chloride Media—A Review Minerals Cu<sub>2</sub>S CuS dissolution chloride |
| title | Leaching Chalcocite in Chloride Media—A Review |
| title_full | Leaching Chalcocite in Chloride Media—A Review |
| title_fullStr | Leaching Chalcocite in Chloride Media—A Review |
| title_full_unstemmed | Leaching Chalcocite in Chloride Media—A Review |
| title_short | Leaching Chalcocite in Chloride Media—A Review |
| title_sort | leaching chalcocite in chloride media a review |
| topic | Cu<sub>2</sub>S CuS dissolution chloride |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/11/11/1197 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT normantoro leachingchalcociteinchloridemediaareview AT carlosmoraga leachingchalcociteinchloridemediaareview AT davidtorres leachingchalcociteinchloridemediaareview AT manuelsaldana leachingchalcociteinchloridemediaareview AT kevinperez leachingchalcociteinchloridemediaareview AT edelmiragalvez leachingchalcociteinchloridemediaareview |