Effect of Mechanical Activation on Pressure Leaching of Küre Massive Rich Copper Ore

Abstract

The effect of mechanical activation on metal dissolutions by pressure leaching of massive rich copper ore taken from Küre copper ore deposit (Turkey) was investigated. The dissolution efficiencies of sulfide minerals are significantly improved by ultrafine grinding, also known as mechanical activation. This grinding results in decrease of particle size and an increase in crystal distortion of sulfide minerals. Leaching efficiencies of copper, cobalt, and Zinc increased from 45.2%, 25.9%, and 87.7% to 98%, 85%, and 97%, respectively, after 3-h mechanical activation. At the end of the activation, leaching was carried out at a temperature of 110°C, 10-bar oxygen partial pressure, and 150-g/L solid concentration without addition of acid. This study has also indicated that mechanical activation involving fine milling as a pretreatment is not only effective on copper minerals dissolution but also on the dissolution of other associated minerals, such as cobalt and zinc sulfides.

Keywords:

• copper sulfide ore
• mechanical activation
• pressure leaching
• ultrafine grinding

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The first author expresses his sincere gratitude to Istanbul Technical University and TU-Clausthal for the financial support. The author would also like to specially thank Prof. (Dr.) E. Gock for his invaluable advice and support during his stay in Germany. The support of Istanbul Technical University's Earth Sciences and Mineral Resources Applied Research Center for the research project is also gratefully acknowledged. The author would also like to thank Prof. Dr. J. Hendrix, for invaluable comments and positive corrections on an earlier version of this paper.