Copper sulfides leaching assisted by acidic seawater-based media: Ionic strength and mechanism

•Acidic seawater-based media (ASM) could be utilized as an alternative of industrial freshwater.•ASM improve leaching kinetics of copper sulfide via reaction activation energy and ORP.•The mineral dissolution was sensitive to the ionic type and its concentration of ASM.•Effect of ionic ratio (e.g. f...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Minerals engineering 2022-01, Vol.175, p.107286, Article 107286
Main Authors: Wang, Leiming, Yin, Shenghua, Deng, Bona, Wu, Aixiang
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acidic seawater-based media
Chloride solution
Copper sulfides
Leaching
Seawater
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Summary:•Acidic seawater-based media (ASM) could be utilized as an alternative of industrial freshwater.•ASM improve leaching kinetics of copper sulfide via reaction activation energy and ORP.•The mineral dissolution was sensitive to the ionic type and its concentration of ASM.•Effect of ionic ratio (e.g. ferric to ferrous) on ORP and activation energy was significant. The seawater is purified or pre-treated to obtain the acidic seawater-based media (ASM), which has been gradually utilized in copper hydrometallurgical industries, resulting in desirable copper recovery efficiency. In the chemical/bio leaching of chalcocite, chalcopyrite, and other low-grade copper sulfide minerals, the ASM is proved to have a good catalytic effect and it could potentially intervene the leaching reaction and interface condition. In this regard, to further understand the effects of ASM, this paper critically discussed the pivotal ions (ferric/ferrous ions, cupric/cuprous ions, elemental sulfur, passivation ions, silver catalytic ions, etc.) and its compounds, regeneration behavior in the leaching reaction. The current studies tightly related to the effects of these pivotal ions on the redox potential, reaction activation energy, and leaching kinetics were also comparatively analyzed. The tolerances of microorganisms and reactions to ASM were carefully explored. Relied on the previous studies and reviewing in this paper, it inferred that as an efficient, potential alternative of freshwater, the ASM could provide a good expected possibility to accelerate copper sulfide leaching, especially in areas with scarce water resources.
ISSN:0892-6875
1872-9444
DOI:10.1016/j.mineng.2021.107286