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15 pages, 4181 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Mechanism of the Effect of Pre-Magnetized Butyl Xanthate on Chalcopyrite Flotation

by Tingsheng Qiu, Liu Yang, Huashan Yan, Hongliang Zhang, Lifeng Cui and Xiaohe Liu

Minerals 2022, 12(2), 209; https://doi.org/10.3390/min12020209 - 06 Feb 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1619

In this work, we applied the technology of magnetic treatment to the flotation of chalcopyrite. The mechanism of the effect of pre-magnetized butyl xanthate on chalcopyrite flotation was studied using monomineral flotation tests, adsorption tests, conductivity tests, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), etc. [...] Read more.

In this work, we applied the technology of magnetic treatment to the flotation of chalcopyrite. The mechanism of the effect of pre-magnetized butyl xanthate on chalcopyrite flotation was studied using monomineral flotation tests, adsorption tests, conductivity tests, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), etc. The monomineral flotation test results showed that, after the magnetization pretreatment of butyl xanthate solution, the chalcopyrite flotation recovery was increased by nearly two percentage points, and the dosage was reduced by 4–10 mg/L at the same recovery. The adsorption, FTIR, dissolved oxygen, and conductivity test results all showed that the magnetization pretreatment increased the dissolved oxygen content and promoted the oxidation of butyl xanthate to double xanthate with better selectivity to chalcopyrite. An electrochemical analysis showed that the magnetization pretreatment of butyl xanthate reduced the corrosion potential and corrosion current density of chalcopyrite surface and inhibited the self-corrosion process of chalcopyrite surface. The flotation test results of actual copper sulfide ore showed that pre-magnetized butyl xanthate could increase the copper recovery of copper concentrate by 3.06 percentage points and the sulfur recovery of sulfur concentrate by nearly 3 percentage points, and effectively reduce the mutual content of copper and sulfur concentrates. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Copper Ore Processing and Extraction)

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11 pages, 3037 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Effects of Galvanic Interaction between Chalcopyrite and Monoclinic Pyrrhotite on Their Flotation Separation

by Liu Yang, Xiaowen Zhou, Huashan Yan, Hongliang Zhang, Xiaohe Liu and Tingsheng Qiu

Minerals 2022, 12(1), 39; https://doi.org/10.3390/min12010039 - 28 Dec 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2609

Abstract

The galvanic interaction between chalcopyrite and monoclinic pyrrhotite and its effect on flotation separation were studied using monomineral flotation tests, adsorption capacity tests, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) characterization, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) test. These results showed that the interaction promoted the reduction [...] Read more.

The galvanic interaction between chalcopyrite and monoclinic pyrrhotite and its effect on flotation separation were studied using monomineral flotation tests, adsorption capacity tests, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) characterization, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) test. These results showed that the interaction promoted the reduction of O₂ on the cathodic chalcopyrite surface and accelerated the generation of Fe(OH)₃, which was not conducive to collector adsorption; hence, the flotation recovery decreased by 10–16%. On the other hand, galvanic interaction accelerated the oxidation of S on the anodic monoclinic pyrrhotite surface to S₀ or SO₄²⁻ and produced a large amount of H⁺, thus preventing the formation of Fe(OH)₃. Meanwhile, the Cu²⁺ eluted from chalcopyrite surface activated monoclinic pyrrhotite; hence, the flotation recovery increased by 3–10%. Galvanic interaction reduced the floatability difference between the two minerals, and the separation difficulty was significantly increased. Even with an increase in the amount of lime, the separation could not be improved. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Copper Ore Processing and Extraction)

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15 pages, 3031 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Industrial Heap Bioleaching of Copper Sulfide Ore Started with Only Water Irrigation

by Yan Jia, Heyun Sun, Qiaoyi Tan, Jingyuan Xu, Xinliang Feng and Renman Ruan

Minerals 2021, 11(11), 1299; https://doi.org/10.3390/min11111299 - 22 Nov 2021

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2833

Abstract

Sulfuric acid solution containing ferric iron is the extractant for industrial heap bioleaching of copper sulfides. To start a heap bioleaching plant, sulfuric acid is usually added to the irrigation solution to maintain adequate acidity (pH 1.0–2.0) for copper dissolution. An industrial practice [...] Read more.

Sulfuric acid solution containing ferric iron is the extractant for industrial heap bioleaching of copper sulfides. To start a heap bioleaching plant, sulfuric acid is usually added to the irrigation solution to maintain adequate acidity (pH 1.0–2.0) for copper dissolution. An industrial practice of heap bioleaching of secondary copper sulfide ore that began with only water irrigation without the addition of sulfuric acid was successfully implemented and introduced in this manuscript. The mineral composition and their behavior related to the production and consumption of sulfuric acid during the bioleaching in heaps was analyzed. This indicated the possibility of self-generating of sulfuric acid in heaps without exogenous addition. After proving by batches of laboratory tests, industrial measures were implemented to promote the sulfide mineral oxidation in heaps throughout the acidifying stages, from a pH of 7.0 to 1.0, thus sulfuric acid and iron was produced especially by pyrite oxidation. After acidifying of the heaps, adapted microbial consortium was inoculated and established in a leaching system. The launch of the bioleaching heap and finally the production expansion were realized without the addition of sulfuric acid, showing great efficiency under low operation costs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Copper Ore Processing and Extraction)

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14 pages, 8235 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Copper Extraction from Oxide Ore of Almalyk Mine by H₂SO₄ in Simulated Heap Leaching: Effect of Particle Size and Acid Concentration

by Chan-Ung Kang, Seung-Eun Ji, Thomas Pabst, Kung-Won Choi, Moonis Ali Khan, Rahul Kumar, Prakash Krishnaiah, Yosep Han, Byong-Hun Jeon and Do-Hyeon Kim

Minerals 2021, 11(9), 1020; https://doi.org/10.3390/min11091020 - 18 Sep 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 5175

Abstract

In this investigation, a laboratory-scale study to extract copper (Cu) from its oxide ore (0.425–11.2 mm particle size) was conducted using varied sulfuric acid (H₂SO₄) concentrations (0.05–0.5 M) as a lixiviant. Through a physicochemical and mineralogical analysis of real [...] Read more.

In this investigation, a laboratory-scale study to extract copper (Cu) from its oxide ore (0.425–11.2 mm particle size) was conducted using varied sulfuric acid (H₂SO₄) concentrations (0.05–0.5 M) as a lixiviant. Through a physicochemical and mineralogical analysis of real field ore samples from the Almalyk mine heap site (Tashkent, Uzbekistan), malachite was identified as a Cu-bearing mineral. Extraction rates were analyzed according to the ore particle size and acid concentration. The Cu extraction with the smallest particle size (in 24 h) varied between 76.7% and 94.26% at varied H₂SO₄ concentrations (0.05–0.5 M). Almost half (50%) of Cu was extracted from the ore within 4 and 72 h of contact time for 0.425–2 mm and 5.6–11.2 mm particle sizes, respectively, using 0.15 M H₂SO₄. Weeklong leaching experiments with 0.5 M H₂SO₄ revealed a higher copper extraction rate (≥73%) from coarse ore particles (5.6–11.2 mm). Along with the copper extraction, iron (29.6 wt%), aluminum (70.2 wt%), magnesium (85.4 wt%), and calcium (44.4 wt%) were also leached out considerably through the dissolution of silicate and carbonate gangue minerals. In this study, an 80.0–94.26% copper extraction rate with reduced acid consumption (20%) proved to be a cost-effective approach. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Copper Ore Processing and Extraction)

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13 pages, 4523 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Rapid Atmospheric Leaching of Chalcopyrite Using a Novel Reagent of Trichloroisocyanuric Acid

by Guobao Chen, Jiarui Sun, Hongying Yang, Pengcheng Ma and Shixiong Gao

Minerals 2021, 11(9), 1012; https://doi.org/10.3390/min11091012 - 18 Sep 2021

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2007

Abstract

With the decrease in high-grade chalcopyrite resources, the copper extraction from low-grade chalcopyrite has attracted more and more attention. However, the kinetic rates of chalcopyrite leaching with traditional oxidants are usually very slow due to the formation of the passivation layer. In this [...] Read more.

With the decrease in high-grade chalcopyrite resources, the copper extraction from low-grade chalcopyrite has attracted more and more attention. However, the kinetic rates of chalcopyrite leaching with traditional oxidants are usually very slow due to the formation of the passivation layer. In this study, a novel reagent of chlorinated oxidant, trichloroisocyanuric acid (TCCA), was used to leach chalcopyrite for the first time. The experimental results showed that when the initial oxidant concentration for TCCA was 0.054 mol·L⁻¹, the leaching temperature was kept at 55 °C, and the pH of the pulp was controlled at 1, the oxidation efficiency of Cu can reach above 90% in less than 30 min. Various analyses of chalcopyrite mineral ore and its oxidized residues, such as chemical composition analysis, X-ray diffraction analysis, scanning electron microscopy analysis and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, were conducted, respectively. No obvious passivation layer was found on the chalcopyrite surface, though the sulfur product can also be generated during the leaching. Reaction kinetic analysis results showed that the different influence of surface reaction and diffusion process on the dissolution of chalcopyrite is little due to the fast leaching speed. After calculation, the activation energy of the whole leaching reaction is 9.06 kJ·mol⁻¹, much lower than that in other reports. The mechanism was also proposed that TCCA was hydrolyzed in the solution to form hypochlorous acid, which is the strong oxidant, and cyanuric acid, which prevents the formation of a passivation layer. The processing in this study is expected to be applied as a novel method for atmospheric leaching of chalcopyrite. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Copper Ore Processing and Extraction)

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15 pages, 2509 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Mineralogical Prediction on the Flotation Behavior of Copper and Molybdenum Minerals from Blended Cu–Mo Ores in Seawater

by Yoshiyuki Tanaka, Hajime Miki, Gde Pandhe Wisnu Suyantara, Yuji Aoki and Tsuyoshi Hirajima

Minerals 2021, 11(8), 869; https://doi.org/10.3390/min11080869 - 11 Aug 2021

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3586

Abstract

The copper ore in Chilean copper porphyry deposits is often associated with molybdenum minerals. This copper–molybdenum (Cu–Mo) sulfide ore is generally mined from various locations in the mining site; thus, the mineral composition, oxidation degree, mineral particle size, and grade vary. Therefore, in [...] Read more.

The copper ore in Chilean copper porphyry deposits is often associated with molybdenum minerals. This copper–molybdenum (Cu–Mo) sulfide ore is generally mined from various locations in the mining site; thus, the mineral composition, oxidation degree, mineral particle size, and grade vary. Therefore, in the mining operation, it is common to blend the ores mined from various spots and then process them using flotation. In this study, the floatability of five types of Cu–Mo ores and the blending of these ores in seawater was investigated. The oxidation degree of these Cu–Mo ores was evaluated, and the correlation between flotation recovery and oxidation degree is presented. Furthermore, the flotation kinetics of each Cu–Mo ore were calculated based on a mineralogical analysis using mineral liberation analysis (MLA). A mineralogical prediction model was proposed to estimate the flotation behavior of blended Cu–Mo ore as a function of the flotation behavior of each Cu–Mo ore. The flotation results show that the recovery of copper and molybdenum decreased with the increasing copper oxidization degree. In addition, the recovery of blended ore can be predicted via the flotation rate equation, using the maximum recovery (R_max) and flotation rate coefficient (k) determined from the flotation rate analysis of each ore before blending. It was found that R_max and k of the respective minerals slightly decreased with increasing the degree of copper oxidation. Moreover, R_max varied greatly depending on the mineral species. The total copper and molybdenum recovery were strongly affected by the degree of copper oxidation as the mineral fraction in the ore varied greatly depending upon the degree of oxidation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Copper Ore Processing and Extraction)

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14 pages, 1846 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Role of Solar Energy (UV-VIS-NIR) as an Assistant for Sulfide Minerals Leaching and Its Potential Application for Metal Extraction

by Orlando Yepsen, Eugenia Araneda, Rodrigo Yepsen and Humberto Estay

Minerals 2021, 11(8), 828; https://doi.org/10.3390/min11080828 - 30 Jul 2021

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2485

Abstract

The mining industry is facing emerging challenges as a result of the increase in energy consumption and environmental demands. These facts have promoted the use of renewable energy sources, such as wind, geothermal and, mainly, solar energy. This paper discusses the role of [...] Read more.

The mining industry is facing emerging challenges as a result of the increase in energy consumption and environmental demands. These facts have promoted the use of renewable energy sources, such as wind, geothermal and, mainly, solar energy. This paper discusses the role of solar energy (UV-VIS-NIR) in leaching processes, evaluating its potential application in metal extraction from sulfide minerals, based on photochemical mechanisms that promote the regeneration of ferric iron or the so called ferrous iron cycling. The present paper discusses the possibility that ultraviolet, visible light and near infrared irradiation (e.g., sunlight provided) can assist the leaching processes in two main ways: by the oxidation of sulfide minerals through in-situ generated Fenton-like reactions, and by the photochemical activation of semiconductor minerals that contain transition metals (Fe, Cu, and Cr, among others). Thus, this paper provides theoretical support to move towards the future application of photoleaching, which consist of a leaching process assisted by UV, VIS, and NIR irradiation. This technology can be considered a promising mineral processing route, using direct photochemical solar energy that can reduce the energy consumption (electricity, fuels) and the environmental impact, opening an opportunity for an alternative method of metal extraction from sulfide ores. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Copper Ore Processing and Extraction)

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Review

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41 pages, 13591 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperReview

Sustainable Use of Copper Resources: Beneficiation of Low-Grade Copper Ores

by Silpa Sweta Jena, Sunil Kumar Tripathy, N. R. Mandre, R. Venugopal and Saeed Farrokhpay

Minerals 2022, 12(5), 545; https://doi.org/10.3390/min12050545 - 27 Apr 2022

Cited by 16 | Viewed by 6960

Abstract

The global market has announced copper as a modern energy metal and finds its extensive utilization in the construction industry, electrical wiring, power transmission lines, alloying, anticorrosive coating, heat exchangers, refrigeration tubing, etc. Copper ore is primarily beneficiated from sulphide mineral deposits. Due [...] Read more.

The global market has announced copper as a modern energy metal and finds its extensive utilization in the construction industry, electrical wiring, power transmission lines, alloying, anticorrosive coating, heat exchangers, refrigeration tubing, etc. Copper ore is primarily beneficiated from sulphide mineral deposits. Due to high-grade copper sulphide deposit exhaustion, the focus has now shifted towards recovery from different lean-grade oxide and mixed ore deposits. The present paper summarizes the utilization of copper as a clean energy mineral and its importance in the current renewable energy sector. Extensive research has been carried out on the flotation of copper sulphide ore as compared to copper oxide and mixed type ores. Besides flotation, other beneficiation techniques (selective flocculation and gravity separation) are also discussed in the present review. A few novel pretreatment methods are currently being studied for copper ore to intensify the separation for higher productivity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Copper Ore Processing and Extraction)

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32 pages, 3509 KiB

Open AccessReview

Chemical Composition Data of the Main Stages of Copper Production from Sulfide Minerals in Chile: A Review to Assist Circular Economy Studies

by Kayo Santana Barros, Vicente Schaeffer Vielmo, Belén Garrido Moreno, Gabriel Riveros, Gerardo Cifuentes and Andréa Moura Bernardes

Minerals 2022, 12(2), 250; https://doi.org/10.3390/min12020250 - 16 Feb 2022

Cited by 17 | Viewed by 8452

Abstract

The mining industry has faced significant challenges to maintaining copper production technically, economically, and environmentally viable. Some of the major limitations that must be overcome in the coming years are the copper ore grade decline due to its intense exploitation, the increasing requirements [...] Read more.

The mining industry has faced significant challenges to maintaining copper production technically, economically, and environmentally viable. Some of the major limitations that must be overcome in the coming years are the copper ore grade decline due to its intense exploitation, the increasing requirements for environmental protection, and the need to expand and construct new tailings dams. Furthermore, the risk of a supply crisis of critical metals, such as antimony and bismuth, has prompted efforts to increase their extraction from secondary resources in copper production. Therefore, improving conventional processes and developing new technologies is crucial to satisfying the world’s metal demands, while respecting the policies of environmental organizations. Hence, it is essential that the chemical composition of each copper production stage is known for conducting these studies, which may be challenging due to the huge variability of concentration data concerning the ore extraction region, the process type, and the operational conditions. This paper presents a review of chemical composition data of the main stages of copper production from sulfide minerals, such as (1) copper minerals, (2) flotation tailings, (3) flotation concentrates, (4) slags and (5) flue dust from the smelting/converting stage, (6) copper anodes, (7) anode slimes, (8) contaminated electrolytes from the electrorefining stage, (9) electrolytes cleaned by ion-exchange resins, and (10) elution solutions from the resins. In addition, the main contributions of recent works on copper production are summarized herein. This study is focused on production sites from Chile since it is responsible for almost one-third of the world’s copper production. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Copper Ore Processing and Extraction)

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