2020 Wang Ultrasound assisted chalcopyrite leaching

This study investigates the effects of ultrasound-assisted leaching (UAL) on chalcopyrite dissolution, aiming to optimize the leaching conditions for improved extraction of copper from sulfidic minerals. We conducted a series of experiments where varying ultrasonic powers, solid-to-liquid ratios, sulfuric acid concentrations, and leaching temperatures were tested to understand their influence on the efficiency of the leaching process. The methodology included comparative analyses between UAL and non-UAL conditions across defined parameters. Our results indicate that ultrasound treatment enhances the leaching efficiency by removing elemental sulfur barriers, particularly at elevated temperatures. The UAL process exhibited higher total sulfur content in the residues compared to non-UAL, suggesting more effective dissolution of copper. Furthermore, the Arrhenius equation analysis illustrated that, although activation energy remained unaffected, the presence of ultrasound significantly increased the reaction's pre-exponential factor, indicating enhanced kinetics. Thus, the findings substantiate that ultrasound cavitation can optimize the copper recovery process from chalcopyrite, paving the way for more efficient mineral processing techniques.