Low Temperature Gaseous Chlorination for Sulfur Oxide Free Extraction of Copper from Chalcopyrite Concentrates

Abstract

Laboratory investigations of gaseous chlorination-selective oxidation process on primary copper sulfide concentrates are described for producing copper chlorides, elemental sulfur and ferric oxide. The copper chlorides can then be leached, purified and electrolyzed to produce metallic copper and chlorine regenerated for recycle. When a process, originally proposed on a pyrite concentrate analyzing 2.5%Cu using a two-stage reactor, was applied to a Cu, Ni sulfide concentrate analyzing 9%Cu, the process had to be modified to a three-stage reactor by adding a sulfur chloride conversion unit. In this manner, operational problems associated with the formation of Cu-Fe chloride eutectics and sulfur chlorides could be circumvented. When the process was extended to a 29%Cu chalcopyrite concentrate, the use of excess oxygen was found to be necessary to stabilize the operation of the oxidation reactor. A flowsheet was further modified to separate the chlorination and selective oxidation units with separate flow paths of fluidizing gases, thereby preventing the oxidation of sulfide feed in the chlorination reactor. Leaching of selectively-oxidized samples produced solutions analyzing Cu concentrations in excess of 100 g/L with Fe/Cu ratios of less than 0.03 and with Cu extractions of over 99%. Leach residues were readily filterable with cake moisture contents of 20 to 25%.