Cooperative extraction of metals from chalcopyrite by bio-oxidation and chemical oxidation

Abstract Chalcopyrite bio-dissolution plays an important role in the processing of copper sulfide ores. However, due to the slow dissolution rates of CuFeS2, bio-dissolution processes have not yet found widespread application. In order to enhance the dissolution of chalcopyrite, a novel method for enhancing the dissolution using ozone was proposed and verified. The generated products in chalcopyrite dissolution process in the presence of Leptospirillum ferrooxidans and Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans was studied. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) results indicate that a surface layer mainly consisting of jarosite and polysulfide (Snn−/S0) might be formed during biotic stage, which can be eliminated with the introduction of ozone. Electrochemical results show that ozone significantly increased the electrochemical reactivity of bioleached chalcopyrite, further proving that ozone enhanced the dissolution through destroying the surface layer. Hence, a bi-stage method for dissolution of chalcopyrite can be proposed.