Logo image
Back
Cuprous hydrometallurgy Party VI. Activation of chalcopyrite by reduction with copper and solutions of copper(I) salts
Journal article   Peer reviewed

Cuprous hydrometallurgy Party VI. Activation of chalcopyrite by reduction with copper and solutions of copper(I) salts

J. Avraamides, D.M. Muir and A.J. Parker
Hydrometallurgy, Vol.5(4), pp.325-336
1980
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/0304-386X(80)90023-7
url
Link to Published Version *Subscription may be requiredView

Abstract

Chalcopyrite is reduced by solutions of copper(I) sulfate and copper(I) chloride to chalcocite (Cu2S) and bornite (Cu5FeS4) whilst the iron reports to the solution. Factors which affect the rate and efficiency of reduction are examined. The reaction is rapid on fresh surfaces of chalcopyrite but slows markedly as a film of chalcocite or bornite forms. The reduction in the presence of copper metal goes to completion and gives a material which is more readily leached by oxidising agents than is chalcopyrite. Thus 99% of the copper in the reduced chalcopyrite is leached when copper(II) sulfate in aqueous acetonitrile is the oxidising agent, whereas only 30% of the copper is leached from pure chalcopyrite under similar conditions. Concentrated solutions of copper(I) salts are less effective in reducing CuFeS2 in a heterogeneous solid-liquid reaction than is copper metal in a “galvanic” solid-solid reaction. Solutions of copper(II) sulfate plus concentrated copper(I) sulfate in dilute acetonitrile (4 M) containing copper sheets are an effective reductant for chalcopyrite.

Details

Metrics

46 Record Views
14 Times Cited - Web of Science

InCites Highlights

These are selected metrics from InCites Benchmarking & Analytics tool, related to this output

Citation topics
7 Engineering & Materials Science
7.229 Mineral & Metal Processing
7.229.774 Bioleaching
Web Of Science research areas
Metallurgy & Metallurgical Engineering
ESI research areas
Materials Science
Logo image