- Library Home /
- Search Collections /
- Open Collections /
- Browse Collections /
- UBC Theses and Dissertations /
- Chloride leaching for chalcopyrite
Open Collections
UBC Theses and Dissertations
UBC Theses and Dissertations
Chloride leaching for chalcopyrite Liddicoat, Jenni Anne
Abstract
Two new process flowsheets have been developed which combine chloride leaching for chalcopyrite with solvent extraction, to selectively transfer copper to a conventional sulfate electrowinning circuit. Both models were designed to address the common chloride hydromet problem of product impurity, and they differ with respect to iron deportment. Chloride leaching offers significant advantages for copper hydrometallurgy including increased solubility, increased rates of leaching and stabilization of Cu(I) through chloride complexation. A mass balance was completed for both models and enabled the determination of recycle leach liquor concentrations of copper and iron species for the countercurrent leach tests. To assist with solid-liquid (S-L) separation a bench size mini-thickener was designed and tested in the continuous countercurrent,leach experiments. One mini-thickener was used for leach stage 1 (LSI) S-L separation in a smooth, clean and semi-continuous manner. The leach tests were performed using a chalcopyrite concentrate, from Antamina in northern Peru, which contained a low to moderate amount of gangue material. The successful completion of mass balances for both circuits demonstrates potential for these two new chloride leach flowsheets particularly in addressing current purification difficulties and waste management issues. The goethite model leach experiments, in which oxygen was injected to leach stage 2 (LS2) to aid iron oxidation and precipitation, were unsuccessful in achieving >95% copper extraction in the atmospheric conditions tested. It is believed that further intensification of conditions could produce >95% copper extraction. The hematite model, in which no air is added to the leach, was successful in demonstrating the effect of varying particle size, leach time and temperature to achieve copper extractions >95%. Three hematite process variations achieved >95% copper extraction and these involved fine grinding of the concentrate, and either a 3h residence time at 95C (98% extraction), a 2h residence time at 95C (96% extraction) or a 3h residence time at 85C (96% extraction). One final experiment, based on the hematite model, was successfully conducted at optimum leach conditions employing Rosario concentrate from Chile, which contains chalcopyrite, chalcocite and a significant amount of pyrite. Copper extraction exceeded 99% for this experiment.
Item Metadata
Title |
Chloride leaching for chalcopyrite
|
Creator | |
Publisher |
University of British Columbia
|
Date Issued |
2003
|
Description |
Two new process flowsheets have been developed which combine chloride leaching for
chalcopyrite with solvent extraction, to selectively transfer copper to a conventional
sulfate electrowinning circuit. Both models were designed to address the common
chloride hydromet problem of product impurity, and they differ with respect to iron
deportment. Chloride leaching offers significant advantages for copper hydrometallurgy
including increased solubility, increased rates of leaching and stabilization of Cu(I)
through chloride complexation. A mass balance was completed for both models and
enabled the determination of recycle leach liquor concentrations of copper and iron
species for the countercurrent leach tests.
To assist with solid-liquid (S-L) separation a bench size mini-thickener was designed and
tested in the continuous countercurrent,leach experiments. One mini-thickener was used
for leach stage 1 (LSI) S-L separation in a smooth, clean and semi-continuous manner.
The leach tests were performed using a chalcopyrite concentrate, from Antamina in
northern Peru, which contained a low to moderate amount of gangue material.
The successful completion of mass balances for both circuits demonstrates potential for
these two new chloride leach flowsheets particularly in addressing current purification
difficulties and waste management issues.
The goethite model leach experiments, in which oxygen was injected to leach stage 2
(LS2) to aid iron oxidation and precipitation, were unsuccessful in achieving >95%
copper extraction in the atmospheric conditions tested. It is believed that further
intensification of conditions could produce >95% copper extraction.
The hematite model, in which no air is added to the leach, was successful in
demonstrating the effect of varying particle size, leach time and temperature to achieve
copper extractions >95%. Three hematite process variations achieved >95% copper
extraction and these involved fine grinding of the concentrate, and either a 3h residence
time at 95C (98% extraction), a 2h residence time at 95C (96% extraction) or a 3h
residence time at 85C (96% extraction).
One final experiment, based on the hematite model, was successfully conducted at
optimum leach conditions employing Rosario concentrate from Chile, which contains
chalcopyrite, chalcocite and a significant amount of pyrite. Copper extraction exceeded
99% for this experiment.
|
Extent |
16531886 bytes
|
Genre | |
Type | |
File Format |
application/pdf
|
Language |
eng
|
Date Available |
2009-11-20
|
Provider |
Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library
|
Rights |
For non-commercial purposes only, such as research, private study and education. Additional conditions apply, see Terms of Use https://open.library.ubc.ca/terms_of_use.
|
DOI |
10.14288/1.0078639
|
URI | |
Degree | |
Program | |
Affiliation | |
Degree Grantor |
University of British Columbia
|
Graduation Date |
2004-05
|
Campus | |
Scholarly Level |
Graduate
|
Aggregated Source Repository |
DSpace
|
Item Media
Item Citations and Data
Rights
For non-commercial purposes only, such as research, private study and education. Additional conditions apply, see Terms of Use https://open.library.ubc.ca/terms_of_use.