{"title":"Investigation on solvometallurgical processes for extraction of metals from sulfides","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2024.109005","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Copper, nickel, iron, zinc, lead, and molybdenum are among the important metals commonly found as sulfide minerals in nature. Some of these metals are also found as sulfides in intermediate products like matte and mixed sulfide precipitates (MSP). The extraction processes of these metals from their sulfide forms through either pyrometallurgy or hydrometallurgy encounter various challenges. This study aimed to explore the viability of solvometallurgical processes (solvoleaching) as potential alternatives for the extraction of these metals from their sulfides (CuS, Ni<sub>3</sub>S<sub>2</sub>, FeS, ZnS, PbS and MoS<sub>2</sub>). The solvometallurgical processes employed a range of solvoleaching systems, such as D2EHPA+MnO<sub>2</sub>+H<sub>2</sub>O, ammoniacal solvoleaching comprising of LIX 84-I+NH<sub>4</sub>OH+H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub>, HCl-equilibrated TBP (TBP-HCl) and EG (ethylene glycol)-based solvents containing each of HCl, FeCl<sub>3</sub>, ChCl and NH<sub>4</sub>Cl. The solvoleaching mechanism of the metal sulfides in each solvoleaching system was discussed. The results were corroborated with thermodynamic tools like Eh-pH diagrams, Gibbs free energy change, and solvation properties of the metal ions, as well as the hard and soft acid-base (HSAB) theory. Analyses of the resulting leach solutions, utilizing suitable analytical techniques such as UV–Vis spectroscopy and FTIR, provided additional support for the results. A comparison made between the solvoleaching and classical aqueous leaching, showing comparable results, indicated the viability of solvoleaching processes as alternatives for the sustainable extraction of these metals from their sulfides.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18594,"journal":{"name":"Minerals Engineering","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":4.9000,"publicationDate":"2024-09-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0892687524004345/pdfft?md5=c18c9d0db11fc5f3bdfb22b9aa3eb366&pid=1-s2.0-S0892687524004345-main.pdf","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Minerals Engineering","FirstCategoryId":"5","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0892687524004345","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"ENGINEERING, CHEMICAL","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Copper, nickel, iron, zinc, lead, and molybdenum are among the important metals commonly found as sulfide minerals in nature. Some of these metals are also found as sulfides in intermediate products like matte and mixed sulfide precipitates (MSP). The extraction processes of these metals from their sulfide forms through either pyrometallurgy or hydrometallurgy encounter various challenges. This study aimed to explore the viability of solvometallurgical processes (solvoleaching) as potential alternatives for the extraction of these metals from their sulfides (CuS, Ni3S2, FeS, ZnS, PbS and MoS2). The solvometallurgical processes employed a range of solvoleaching systems, such as D2EHPA+MnO2+H2O, ammoniacal solvoleaching comprising of LIX 84-I+NH4OH+H2O2, HCl-equilibrated TBP (TBP-HCl) and EG (ethylene glycol)-based solvents containing each of HCl, FeCl3, ChCl and NH4Cl. The solvoleaching mechanism of the metal sulfides in each solvoleaching system was discussed. The results were corroborated with thermodynamic tools like Eh-pH diagrams, Gibbs free energy change, and solvation properties of the metal ions, as well as the hard and soft acid-base (HSAB) theory. Analyses of the resulting leach solutions, utilizing suitable analytical techniques such as UV–Vis spectroscopy and FTIR, provided additional support for the results. A comparison made between the solvoleaching and classical aqueous leaching, showing comparable results, indicated the viability of solvoleaching processes as alternatives for the sustainable extraction of these metals from their sulfides.
期刊介绍:
The purpose of the journal is to provide for the rapid publication of topical papers featuring the latest developments in the allied fields of mineral processing and extractive metallurgy. Its wide ranging coverage of research and practical (operating) topics includes physical separation methods, such as comminution, flotation concentration and dewatering, chemical methods such as bio-, hydro-, and electro-metallurgy, analytical techniques, process control, simulation and instrumentation, and mineralogical aspects of processing. Environmental issues, particularly those pertaining to sustainable development, will also be strongly covered.