RECOVERY OF COPPER FROM COMPLEX COPPER OXIDE ORE BY FLOTATION AND LEACHING METHODS

Abstract

The objective of this study is to achieve economic-scale copper extraction from complex copper oxide ore obtained from mining site in Diyarbakir, Turkey through the application of flotation and leaching enrichment experiments. Prior to the flotation process, the ore crystal structure was modified by sulfidation. In this context, the effect of particle size, Na2S, H2S, and Ca(OH)2 amount on the sulfidation process was investigated. The optimum recovery was achieved by processing 220 g of-100 mesh ore with Ca(OH)2 at a solid-liquid ratio of 1:1, followed by sulfidation with 4.16 g of H2S(g). Under optimal flotation conditions using MIBC (Methyl Isobutyl Carbinol) (1%, 0.5 mL) as frother, Aerophine 3418A (1%, 12 mL) as collector, and CuSO4 (5 mg/mL, 3 mL) as activator at pH 9, the newly-formed crystalline ore was enriched with copper to a yield of 81.9%. As a second method, the ore was leached with sulfuric acid for high copper extraction, and various parameters (acid concentration, time, temperature, solid/liquid ratio, HNO3, H2O2, NaOH) were examined. Under optimal leaching conditions, 96% of the copper was successfully extracted into the solution (1.0 M H2SO4, time: 90 min, solid-liquid ratio: 1/1 g/mL, temperature: room temperature, NaOH: 1M). © 2023, Jomard Publishing. All rights reserved.