Cu~(2+)-catalyzed mechanism in oxygen-pressure acid leaching of artificial sphalerite

The potential autoclave was used to study the catalytic mechanism of Cu~(2+) during the oxygen pressure leaching process of artificial sphalerite. By studying the potential change of the system at different temperatures and the SEM–EDS difference of the leaching residues, it was found that in the temperature range of 363–423 K, the internal Cu~(2+) formed a Cu S deposit on the surface of sphalerite, which hindered the leaching reaction, resulting in a zinc leaching rate of only 51.04%. When the temperature exceeds 463 K, the system potential increases steadily. The increase in temperature leads to the dissolution of the CuS, which is beneficial to the circulation catalysis of Cu~(2+). At this time, the leaching rate of Zn exceeds 95%. In addition, the leaching kinetics equations at 363–423 and 423–483 K were established. The activation energy of zinc leaching at 363–423 and 423–483 K is 38.66 and 36.25 kJ/mol, respectively, and the leaching process is controlled by surface chemical reactions.     

Sulfuric acid leaching of high iron-bearing zinc calcine

Sulfuric acid leaching of high iron-bearing zinc calcine was investigated to assess the effects of sulfuric acid concentration, liquid-to-solid ratio, leaching time, leaching temperature, and the stirring speed on the leaching rates of zinc and iron. The results showed that the sulfuric acid concentration, liquid-to-solid ratio, leaching time, and leaching temperature strongly influenced the leaching of zinc and iron, whereas stirring speed had little influence. Zinc was mainly leached and the leaching rate of iron was low when the sulfuric acid concentration was less than 100 g/L. At sulfuric acid concentrations higher than 100 g/L, the leaching rate of iron increased quickly with increasing sulfuric acid concentration. This behavior is attributed to iron-bearing minerals such as zinc ferrite in zinc calcine dissolving at high temperatures and high sulfuric acid concentrations but not at low temperatures and low sulfuric acid concentrations.     

Leaching of a copper flotation concentrate with ammonium persulfate in an autoclave system

The leaching behavior of a copper flotation concentrate was investigated using ammonium persulfate (APS) in an autoclave system. The decomposition products of APS, active oxygen, and acidic medium were used to extract metals from the concentrate. Leaching experiments were performed to compare the availability of APS as an oxidizing agent for leaching of the concentrate under atmospheric conditions and in an autoclave system. Leaching temperature and APS concentration were found to be important parameters in both leaching systems. Atmospheric leaching studies showed that the metal extractions increased with the increase in APS concentration and temperature (up to 333 K). A similar tendency was determined in the autoclave studies up to 423 K. It was also determined that the metal extractions decreased at temperatures above 423 K due to the passivation of the particle surface by molten elemental sulfur. The results showed that higher copper extractions could be achieved using an autoclave system.     

Variation law of gas holdup in an autoclave during the pressure leaching process by using a mixed-flow agitator

The multiphase reaction process of pressure leaching is mainly carried out in the liquid phase. Therefore, gas holdup is essential for the gas-liquid-solid phase reaction and the extraction rate of valuable metals. In this paper, a transparent quartz autoclave, a six blades disc turbine-type agitator, and a high-speed camera were used to investigate the gas holdup of the pressure leaching process. Furthermore, experiments determining the effects of agitation rate, temperature, and oxygen partial pressure on gas holdup were carried out. The results showed that when the agitation rate increased from 350 to 600 r/min, the gas holdup increased from 0.10% to 0.64%. When the temperature increased from 363 to 423 K, the gas holdup increased from 0.14% to 0.20%. When the oxygen partial pressure increased from 0.1 to 0.8 MPa, the gas holdup increased from 0.13% to 0.19%. A similar criteria relationship was established by Homogeneous Principle and Buckingham's theorem. Comprehensively, empirical equation of gas holdup was deduced on the basis of experimental data and the similarity theory, where the criterion equation was determined as ε=4.54×10-11n3.65P_g0.18. It can be seen from the formula that agitation rate made the most important impact on gas holdup in the pressure leaching process using the mixed-flow agitator.     

摩擦表面合金化法开发一种 Mg–Zn 表面合金:模拟体液中的体外降解研究

A new variant of friction-assisted process named friction surface alloying (FSA) for developing surface alloys was demonstrated in the present work. In FSA, the dispersed phase is melted and allowed to react with the matrix material to form an alloy at the surface of a metallic substrate. In the present work, magnesium (Mg) sheets and zinc (Zn) powder were selected, and fine grained (~3.5 μm) Mg–Zn surface alloy with improved hardness was produced by FSA. X-ray diffraction studies confirmed the formation of intermetallic phases of Mg and Zn at the surface. From the in vitro degradation studies carried out by immersing in simulated body fluids, a lower corrosion rate was observed for the Mg–Zn surface alloy compared with pure Mg. The surface morphologies after immersion studies indicated large degraded areas on the base Mg compared with Mg–Zn. The results demonstrate the potential of FSA in developing Mg-based surface alloys without melting the substrate to impart better surface properties.     

Ultra fast microwave-assisted leaching for the recovery of copper and tellurium from copper anode slime

The decomposition of copper anode slime heated by microwave energy in a sulfuric acid medium was investigated. Leaching experiments were carried out in a multi-mode cavity with microwave assistance. The leaching process parameters were optimized using response surface methodology (RSM). Under the optimized conditions, the leaching efficiencies of copper and tellurium were 99.56% ±0.16% and 98.68% ±0.12%, respectively. Meanwhile, a conventional leaching experiment was performed in order to evaluate the influence of microwave radiation. The mechanism of microwave-assisted leaching of copper anode slime was also investigated. In the results, the microwave technology is demonstrated to have a great potential to improve the leaching efficiency and reduce the leaching time. The enhanced recoveries of copper and tellurium are believed to result from the presence of a temperature gradient due to the shallow microwave penetration depth and the superheating at the solid-liquid interface.     

Developing Mg–Zn surface alloy by friction surface allosying: In vitro degradation studies in simulated body fluids

A new variant of friction-assisted process named friction surface alloying(FSA) for developing surface alloys was demonstrated in the present work. In FSA, the dispersed phase is melted and allowed to react with the matrix material to form an alloy at the surface of a metallic substrate. In the present work, magnesium(Mg) sheets and zinc(Zn) powder were selected, and fine grained(～3.5 μm) Mg–Zn surface alloy with improved hardness was produced by FSA. X-ray diffraction studies confirmed the formation of intermetallic phases of Mg and Zn at the surface. From the in vitro degradation studies carried out by immersing in simulated body fluids, a lower corrosion rate was observed for the Mg–Zn surface alloy compared with pure Mg. The surface morphologies after immersion studies indicated large degraded areas on the base Mg compared with Mg–Zn. The results demonstrate the potential of FSA in developing Mg-based surface alloys without melting the substrate to impart better surface properties.     

Extraction of copper from copper-bearing biotite by ultrasonic-assisted leaching

Copper-bearing biotite is a refractory copper mineral found on the surface of the Zambian Copperbelt.Biotite is a copper oxide from which copper is extracted by various methods,especially by leaching.Leaching is the process of extracting a substance from a solid material dissolved in a liquid.To improve the efficiency of the leaching process by a more effective method,a new method called ultrasonic-assisted acid leaching is proposed and applied in this study.Compared with regular acid leaching,the ultrasound method reduced the leaching time from 120 to 40 min,and sulfuric acid concentration reduced from 0.5 to 0.3 mol·L^-1.Besides,leaching temperature could be reduced from 75 to 45°C at the leaching rate of 78%.The mechanism analysis indicates that an ultrasonic wave can cause the delamination of a copper-bearing biotite and increase its specific surface area from 0.55 to 1.67 m²·g^-1.The results indicate that copper extraction from copper-bearing biotite by ultrasonic-assisted acid leaching is more effective than regular acid leaching.This study proposes a promising method for recycling valuable metals from phyllosilicate minerals.     

铁酸锌焙烧后的还原行为及氨浸特性

A novel method for recovering zinc from zinc ferrite by reduction roasting–ammonia leaching was studied in this paper. The reduction thermodynamic of zinc ferrite by CO was analyzed. The effects of roasting parameters on the phase transformation and conversion rate of zinc ferrite, and the leaching behavior of zinc from the reductive roasted samples by ammonia leaching, were experimentally investigated. The mineralogical phase compositions and chemical compositions of the samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction and chemical titration methods, respectively. The results showed that most of the zinc ferrite was transformed to zinc oxide and magnetite after weak reduction roasting. 86.43% of the zinc ferrite was transformed to zinc oxide under the optimum conditions: CO partial pressure of 25%, roasting temperature of 750°C, and roasting duration of 45 min. Finally, under the optimal leaching conditions, 78.12% of zinc was leached into the solution from the roasted zinc ferrite while all iron-bearing materials were kept in the leaching residue. The leaching conditions are listed as follows: leaching duration of 90 min, ammonia solution with 6 mol/L concentration, leaching temperature of 50°C, solid-to-liquid ratio of 40 g/L, and stirring speed of 200 r/min.     

Characteristics of the reduction behavior of zinc ferrite and ammonia leaching after roasting

A novel method for recovering zinc from zinc ferrite by reduction roasting–ammonia leaching was studied in this paper. The reduction thermodynamic of zinc ferrite by CO was analyzed. The effects of roasting parameters on the phase transformation and conversion rate of zinc ferrite, and the leaching behavior of zinc from the reductive roasted samples by ammonia leaching, were experimentally investigated. The mineralogical phase compositions and chemical compositions of the samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction and chemical titration methods, respectively. The results showed that most of the zinc ferrite was transformed to zinc oxide and magnetite after weak reduction roasting. 86.43% of the zinc ferrite was transformed to zinc oxide under the optimum conditions: CO partial pressure of 25%, roasting temperature of 750°C, and roasting duration of 45 min. Finally, under the optimal leaching conditions, 78.12% of zinc was leached into the solution from the roasted zinc ferrite while all iron-bearing materials were kept in the leaching residue. The leaching conditions are listed as follows: leaching duration of 90 min,ammonia solution with 6 mol/L concentration, leaching temperature of 50°C, solid-to-liquid ratio of 40 g/L, and stirring speed of 200 r/min.     

Pretreatment and thiosulfate leaching of refractory gold-bearing arsenosulfide concentrates

A hydrometallurgical process for refractory gold-bearing arsenosulfide concentrates at ambient temperature and pressure was presented, including fine grinding with intensified alkali-leaching (FGLAL), enhanced agitation alkali-leaching (EAAL), thiosulfate leaching and displacement. Experimental results on a refractory gold concentrate showed that the total consumption of NaOH in alkaline leaching is only 41% of those theoretically calculated under the conditions of full oxidization for the same amount of arsenides and sulfides transformed into arsenates and sulfates, and 72.3% of gold is synchro-dissoluted by thiosulfate self-generated during alkaline leaching. After alkaline leaching, thiosulfate leaching was carried out for 24 h. The dissolution of gold is increased to 91.9% from 4.6% by cyanide without the pretreatment. The displacement of gold by zinc powder in the solution gets to 99.2%. Due to an amount of thiosulfate self-generated during alkaline leaching, the reagent addition in thiosulfate leaching afterwards is lower than the normal.     

A new process of extracting vanadium from stone coal

A new process of extracting vanadium from the stone coal vanadium ore in Fangshankou, Dunhuang area of Gansu Province, China was introduced. Various leaching experiments were carried out, and the results show that the vanadium ore in Fangshankou is difficult to process due to its high consumption of acid and the high leaching rate of impurities. However, the leaching rate can be up to 80% and the content of V₂O₅ in the residue can be between 0.22%–0.25% in the process of ore fine grinding→oxidation roasting→mixing and ripening→aqueous leaching→P₂O₄ solvent extraction→sulfuric acid stripping→oxidation and precipitation→decomposition by heat. Also, the quality of flaky V₂O₅ produced by this process can meet the requirements of GB3283–87. The total leaching rate of vanadium is 70%. Also, three types of wastes are easy to treat. The vanadium extraction process is better in relation to the aspect of environmental protection than the sodium method.     

Ultrasound effects on zinc recovery from EAF dust by sulfuric acid leaching

In this work, an ultrasound-assisted leaching process was studied for the recovery of zinc from electric arc furnace (EAF) dust, in which zinc was mainly present in the form of franklinite (60%). Hydrometallurgy is emerging as a preferred process for the recovery of a variety of metals, and the use of ultrasound could offer advantages over the conventional leaching process, especially for the dissolution of franklinite. Franklinite is a refractory phase that is difficult to leach and represents the main obstacle in conventional hydrometallurgy processing. Atmospheric leaching with different sulfuric acid concentrations (0.2-2.0 M) at two temperatures (323 and 353 K) was performed. The tests were conducted using both conventional and ultrasound-assisted leaching. After the leaching tests, the solid residues were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques, whereas the leach liquor was analyzed by inductively coupled plasma spectroscopy (ICP). The use of ultrasound facilitated the dissolution of franklinite at low acid concentrations and resulted in a greater zinc recovery under all of the investigated operating conditions.     

Kinetics of chemical leaching of chalcopyrite from low grade copper ore: behavior of different size fractions

The kinetics of the chemical leaching of copper from low grade ore in ferric sulfate media was investigated using the constrained least square optimization technique. The experiments were carried out for different particle sizes in both the reactor and column at constant oxidation-reduction potential (E_h), pH values, and temperature. The main copper mineral was chalcopyrite. About 40% of Cu recovery is obtained after 7 d of reactor leaching at 85℃ using -0.5 mm size fraction, while the same recovery is obtained at 75℃ after 24 d. Also, about 23% of Cu recovery is obtained after 60 d of column leaching for +4–-8 mm size fraction whereas the Cu recovery is as low as about 15% for +8–-12.7 and +12.7–-25 mm size fractions. A 4-stage model for chalcopyrite dissolution was used to explain the observed dissolution behaviors. The results show that thick over-layers of sulphur components cause the parabolic behavior of chalcopyrite dissolution and the precipitation of Fe3+ plays the main role in chalcopyrite passivation. In the case of coarse particles, transformation from one stage to another takes a longer time, thus only two stages including the initial reaction on fresh surfaces and S0 deposition are observed.     

Hydrogen absorption behavior of TA15 alloy

The hydrogen absorption kinetics of TA15 titanium alloy at 973–1123 K was studied using a tube-type hydrogen treatment furnace. The hydrogen absorption kinetic curves obtained were analyzed according to a series of mechanism equations to reveal the kinetic parameters and mechanism of the hydrogen absorption process. The results show that both the hydrogen absorption rate and the equilibrium hydrogen pressure increase and the time to reach equilibrium is shortened with increasing temperature. It is found that only the second hydrogen absorption period exists in the hydrogen absorption process of TA15 alloy between 973 and 1123 K, and the activation energy is 54.889 kJ/mol for hydrogen absorption. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) results demonstrate that δ hydride forms between 973 and 1123 K, and β phase decreases with the increase of temperature. Orthorhombic α″ martensite is generated at 1073-1123 K, and their amount increases with increasing temperature.     

Leaching of lead from zinc leach residue in acidic calcium chloride aqueous solution

A process with potentially reduced environmental impacts and occupational hazards of lead-bearing zinc plant residue was studied to achieve a higher recovery of lead via a cost-effective and environmentally friendly process. This paper describes an optimization study on the leaching of lead from zinc leach residue using acidic calcium chloride aqueous solution. Six main process conditions, i.e., the solution pH value, stirring rate, concentration of CaCl₂ aqueous solution, liquid-to-solid (L/S) ratio, leaching temperature, and leaching time, were investigated. The microstructure and components of the residue and tailing were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). On the basis of experimental results, the optimum reaction conditions were determined to be a solution pH value of 1, a stirring rate of 500 r·min-1, a CaCl₂ aqueous solution concentration of 400 g·L-1, a liquid-to-solid mass ratio of 7:1, a leaching temperature of 80℃, and a leaching time of 45 min. The leaching rate of lead under these conditions reached 93.79%, with an iron dissolution rate of 19.28%. Silica did not take part in the chemical reaction during the leaching process and was accumulated in the residue.     

Comprehensive recovery of gold and base-metal sulfide minerals from a low-grade refractory ore

The comprehensive recovery of small amounts of valuable minerals such as gold and base-metal sulfide minerals from a low-grade refractory ore was investigated. The following treatment strategy was applied to a sample of this ore: gold flotation–gold concentrate leaching–lead and zinc flotation from the gold concentrate leaching residue. Closed-circuit trials of gold flotation yielded a gold concentrate that assayed at 40.23 g·t-1 Au with a recovery of 86.25%. The gold concentrate leaching rate was 98.76%. Two variants of lead-zinc flotation from the residue—preferential flotation of lead and zinc and bulk flotation of lead and zinc—were tested using the middling processing method. Foam from the reflotation was returned to the lead rougher flotation or lead–zinc bulk flotation, whereas middlings from reflotation were discarded. Sulfur concentrate was a byproduct. The combined strategy of flotation, leaching, and flotation is recommended for the treatment of this kind of ore.     

(NH4)2SO4焙烧?浸出法从氧化锌矿石中提取锌

An improved method of (NH₄)₂SO₄ roasting followed by water leaching to utilize zinc oxidized ores was studied. The operating parameters were obtained by investigating the effects of the molar ratio of (NH₄)₂SO₄ to zinc, roasting temperature, and holding time on zinc extraction. The roasting process followed the chemical reaction control mechanism with the apparent activation energy value of 41.74 kJ·mol?1. The transformation of mineral phases in roasting was identified by X-ray diffraction analysis combined with thermogravimetry–differential thermal analysis curves. The water leaching conditions, including the leaching temperature, leaching time, stirring velocity, and liquid-to-solid ratio, were discussed, and the leaching kinetics was studied. The reaction rate was obtained under outer diffusion without product layer control; the values of the apparent activation energy for two stages were 4.12 and 8.19 kJ·mol?1. The maximum zinc extraction ratio reached 96% while the efficiency of iron extraction was approximately 32% under appropriate conditions. This work offers an effective method for the comprehensive use of zinc oxidized ores.     

Effects of the mineral phase and valence of vanadium on vanadium extraction from stone coal

The influence of roasting on the leaching rate and valence of vanadium was evaluated during vanadium extraction from stone coal. Vanadium in stone coal is hard to be leached and the leaching rate is less than 10% when the raw ore is leached by 4 mol/L H₂SO₄ at 90℃ for 2 h. After the sample is roasted at 900℃ for 2 h, the leaching rate of vanadium reaches the maximum, and more than 70% of vanadium can be leached. The crystal of vanadium-bearing mica minerals decomposes and the content of V(V) increases with the rise of roasting temperature from 600 to 900℃, therefore the leaching rate of vanadium increases significantly with the decomposition of the mica minerals. Some new phases, anorthite for example, form when the roasting temperature reaches 1000℃. A part of vanadium may be enwrapped in the sintered materials and newly formed phases, which may impede the oxidation of low valent vanadium and make the leaching rate of vanadium drop dramatically. The leaching rate of vanadium is not only determined by the valence state of vanadium but also controlled by the decomposition of vanadium-bearing minerals and the existence state of vanadium to a large extent.     

Fabrication and character ization of electrospun TiO2/CuS micro–nano-scaled composite fibers

A process to fabricate a kind of novel micro–nano scaled TiO2/CuS composite fibers by electrospinning technique and chemical precipitation method was developed in the present study. The microstructures and photoelectronic properties of the fibers were characterize d using SEM, FT-IR, UV–vis and fluorescence spectroscopy. The results revealed that the TiO2 portion in the composite fibers was a mixture rutile and anatase phases while TiO2 and CuS had been fully composite. The fibers had smooth surface with a diameter of 50–300 nm. Comparing with pure TiO2 fiber, the TiO2/CuS micro–nano-scaled composite fibers exhibited a strong absorption in the visible light region and the efficiency of photo-induced charge separation were enhanced. This composite system is of widely potential applications in the areas such as solar cells, supercapacity, photocatalysis, etc.