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Copper Extraction (6 replies and 6 comments)
You certainly can if the copper minerals are oxide, but very difficult if not impossible on sulfide ore. The oxides of copper leach very well.
Agreed with Max. In addition, if you have copper as sulphide, you can use ferric sulphate to oxidize it so it will leach eventually. If low grade, best to run a column heap leach simulation, preceded by bottle roll amenability tests (2 of them: one with acid, one with acid + ferric). Some base line mineralogy always beneficial. Hope this helps. Alex.
Yes Rob, the carbonates of copper, the minerals azurite and malachite are considered oxides, the common silicate chrysocolla also is very soluble under proper conditions. Max
This paper may show useful Rob.
Also https://www.911metallurgist.com/blog/heap-leaching and https://www.911metallurgist.com/blog/copper-leaching-ferric-sulphate-sulphuric-acid + https://www.911metallurgist.com/blog/copper-oxide-leaching
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Thanks David, I'm so helped with this paper.. Many thanks from East Indonesia.
Rob, it's really a good idea to know what ores you are working with. As others here have noted, it makes a difference if your ore is a sulfide vs. a carbonate, oxide or silicate. Depending on the size of your deposit, it is probably well worth the expense to have your ore assayed for copper and other metals. Bear in mind that copper sulfides in particular occur mixed with sulfides of other metals. Treating with sulfuric acid will likely dissolve these as well, resulting in a mixture of sulfates, not just copper sulfate. These could be more valuable or less than copper salts.
Thanks InOr, Someone tell me that the ore body have Chrome too..
So are the chrome metal in the ore could affect the copper separating process?
Rob. I don't know the answer to this question. The only chromium ore I know of is chromite, Fe Cr2 04. The chromium in chromite is trivalent (in the +3 oxidation state.) and not terribly toxic. Howver, if treated in such a way (How? I don't know that either.) as to oxidize to hexavalent Cr, you will have a toxin/carcinogen on your hands. To repeat, I don't know if this is a realistic possibility as the subject is beyond my expertise. Still, it's prudent to keep it in mind when planning your process.
Hi Rob,
Keep in mind that your copper solutions may be worthless if they are not upgraded. You may want to consider an iron precipitation step to convert weak solutions to copper metal. If your goal is to produce copper sulfate crystals, you can dissolve the copper again with sulfuric to produce a strong solution for crystallization.
some information on copper cementation
Good luck
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Can I make a Copper Sulfate solution with this unknown copper ore and sulfuric acid without using a burner or roasting?
How?
Can I just using a crushing and just directly dissolving the copper using the sulfuric acid?
Thanks