Atmospheric leaching of shale by-product from Lubin concentrator
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Wrocław University of Technology
Publication date: 2007-01-01
Corresponding author
Tomasz Chmielewski
Wrocław University of Technology, Faculty of Chemistry, Division of Chemical Metallurgy, Wybrzeze Wyspianskiego 27, 50-307 Wroclaw, Poland
Physicochem. Probl. Miner. Process. 2007;41(1):337-348
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ABSTRACT
The results of non-oxidative leaching with sulphuric acid followed by atmospheric leaching with oxygenated H2SO4 have been presented for shale containing middlings (tailings from 1st cleaning flotation) from Lubin Concentrator. It was found that all leaching or bioleaching processes performed in acidic media has to be preceded by non-oxidative decomposition of acid-consuming carbonate components to liberate finely disseminated metal-bearing minerals. Atmospheric leaching appeared to be very efficient process for recovering Cu, Ni and Co from Lubin middlings due to favorable mineralogical composition and fine diameters of leached particles. Maximum recovery of Cu, Ni and Co after 5 hours leaching was observed for experiments at 90 oC in the solutions containing 15 – 30 g/dm3 of Fe(III). Solid residue after atmospheric will be further processed by flotation or chloride leaching to recover Ag, Pb and precious metals.