A statistical approach to the experimental of the leaching of sulfide copper from the ores using lixiviant sulfuric acid

Abstract

In the present paper, a review has been made for the recovery of copper from the ores using lixiviant sulphuric acid, the effects of the sulfuric acid concentration, leaching time, particle size and leaching temperature on the recovery of copper were examined. The results of leaching indicate that the recovery extraction of Cu increases with increasing acid concentration and temperature; while it decreases with particle size. The logical experimentation parameters for the extraction of copper were discovered. Later than 120 min of leaching treatment, the sulfuric acid concentration 2 mol/l^-1, leaching temperature 85 °C, smaller particle size 63 μm at low stirring rates (100 rpm) and solid-to-liquid ratio 1:10. The overall results of the dissolution studies indicated that the data fitted the shrinking core model for the controlled mechanism, with surface chemical reaction as the rate controlling step. The value of the activation energy Ea is calculated by multiplying the slope of the Arrhenius curve by the value of the universal gas constant 8.314 kJ/mol^-1.