Dissolution of copper from a primary chalcopyrite ore calcined with and without Fe2O3 in sulphuric acid solution

Abstract

Dissolution of copper from a primary chalcopyrite ore supplied from Damar mine area in Murgul-Artvin, Turkey, has been investigated in sulphuric acid solution after the calcination with and without Fe2O3. The chalcopyrite with and without Fe2O3 were performed by thermogravimetric (TO) analysis, and the calcined chalcopyrite samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD). In the leaching experiments, the effects of calcination temperature, sulphuric acid concentration, solid/liquid ratio, agitation rate, particle size and dissolution temperature and time on copper dissolution were examined. It was found that Fe2O3 addition contributed to sulphation during the calcination and then copper dissolution.