STUDIES ON EXTRACTION OF COPPER FROM SULFURIC ACID SOLUTION AFTER THERMOCHEMICAL ENRICHMENT OF ROUGH CONCENTRATE

Abstract

One of the processes of complete and complex extraction of valuable components is the desiliconization of final tailings to increase the content of concentrate and obtain marketable products in the form of white soot and copper cathode. This study aimed to investigate the possibility of further extraction of copper from the sulfuric acid solution obtained after the thermochemical enrichment of rough copper concentrate on a temperature range of 300-500°C. Acorga M5774 extractant and Elixore 205 diluent served to extract copper from the pregnant solution containing 9.59 g/l copper and 24.6 g/l iron. The study of the extractant performance and parameters involved plotting the isotherms of extraction and re-extraction curves. The result shows thermochemical enrichment of the rough concentrate using alkali and subsequent leaching with further copper extraction. The concentrate water leaching yielded 88.0% silicon recovery and 96.15% copper recovery. The copper recovery was 97.9%, with an organic-to-water phase ratio of 1.2. From the dependence of iron transfer on the copper saturation of the organic phase, it follows that if the latter is low, the rest of the extractant will absorb iron, so some excess copper content is required.