LEACHING PROCEDURE OF COPPER SULPHIDE CONCENTRATES FROM HYDRITIC TETRA CONTAINING ARSENIC AND ANTIMONY IN HIGH CONCENTRATIONS.

摘要

A process for lixiviation of concentrates of copper sulphides of tetrahedral type containing high concentration of arsenic and antimony to recover copper and noble metals. The concentrates are repulped into an aqueous ferrous sulphate solution with an established and controlled solid-liquid ratio which is thereafter oxidized by an oxygen containing gas in a reactor, thereby oxidizing the sulphides to sulphates, precipitating iron as ferric arsenates and antimoniates and yielding a lixiviation pulp in which the solid phase contains the iron, antimony and arsenic as well as the insoluble sulphates of the non-ferrous metals, such as lead and noble metals, and the liquid phase containing the copper, free sulphuric acid and the soluble sulphates of non-ferrous metals, as well as zinc, cadmium, cobalt, etc. The metals contained therein are recovered, after solid-liquid separation by conventional method. Among them, the copper cementation with scrap iron from the lixiviation liquid is the preferable method, because it yields the necessary aqueous solution of ferrous sulphate for the lixiviation.