Photocorrosion of copper sulfides: Toward a solar mining industry
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Keywords:
Covellite
Chalcocite
Copper sulfide
Sulfide Minerals
Cuprite
Bornite
Copper is found in several minerals with varied elemental composition. For instance, copper minerals occur as chalcopyrite (CuFeS 2 ), bornite (Cu 5 FeS 4 ), chalcocite (Cu 2 S), covellite (CuS), cuprite oxide (Cu 2 O), and malachite (Cu 2 CO 3 (OH) 2 ) among many other minerals. In Kenya, extraction of valuable minerals like copper is hampered by high capital and technological investment requirements. Mineral ores found in Tharaka sub – county in Tharaka Nithi County in Kenya in particular contains significant concentrations of copper which are worth extraction. These minerals cannot be exploited due to financial and technological constraints. However, efficient and cheaper methods of extraction of copper with affordable technology are currently required. Electrolysis of copper leach solution after reaction of ground ore with acid has been done. Since the available methods involve the use of large amount of power for large scale production, alternative method for extraction has been investigated. The method involves dipping aluminum in acidic leach solution at room temperatures. The copper recovered was found to contain 80 to 90% purity depending with ore composition. Keywords: key copper extraction, aluminum half-cell reaction, displacement of copper using aluminum. DOI: 10.7176/CMR/12-7-06 Publication date: September 30 th 2020
Chalcocite
Malachite
Covellite
Bornite
Cuprite
Copper extraction techniques
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The studied copper ore deposit is located in Miedzianka Mountain (Świętokrzyskie Mountains, central Poland). This deposit was exploited from the 13th century to the 1950s; therefore numerous historical adits are currently present. One of these is Teresa adit (established in 1805), consisting of underground mining corridors and natural cave developed in the Upper Devonian limestones, partially transformed by mining works. Samples of copper- and rock-forming minerals in limestones collected at seven sites within the richest copper-bearing mineralisation in this adit were studied with petrographic investigation of thin sections, micro-area chemical analysis (EDS), and XRD. This study shows the presence of various minerals: (a) Cu-Fe sulphides (relics of chalcopyrite) and Cu sulphides (covellite, chalcocite), (b) Cu-Fe oxides (cuprite and hematite), (c) Ca and Cu carbonates (calcite, azurite, and malachite), (d) clay minerals (Fe-Mg illite), and (e) micro-crystalline silica (quartz). For the first time in the studied deposit, we described chalcopyrite relics in cuprite pseudomorphosis, hematite with admixture of vanadium in pinkish-creme veins in limestones, and the presence of an admixture of Fe-Mg illite and microcystaline silica within cracks of limestones. In addition, for the first time, unit cell parameters of malachite and azurite from Miedzianka Mountain were determined, indicating very low substitutions of atoms other than Cu in their structures. We suppose that the minerals studied were formed during three types of copper mineralisation processes: (a) hydrothermal (relics of chalcopyrite), (b) secondary weathering (chalcocite, covellite, cuprite, hematite), and (c) adsorptive mineralisation (azurite, malachite). The latter stage is related to residuum, which consists of a mixture of Fe-Mg illite and micro-crystalline quartz, which was formed during the dissolution of limestones in karst processes in some crevices. We proposed a model of the formation of copper carbonates in the adsorption stage of the copper-bearing mineralisation in Miedzianka Mountain deposits. Two generations of calcite veins (older—red calcite and younger—crème-pinkish calcite) were also detected. Mineralogical–petrographical studies of samples revealed a high scientific and educational value. Due to the fact that the Teresa adit is planned to be made available to geotourists, this work is worth presenting to the public either in the adit and/or in a local museum in Miedzianka village.
Chalcocite
Malachite
Cuprite
Covellite
Bornite
Supergene (geology)
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Bornite
Chalcocite
Covellite
Copper sulfide
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COPPER ores in India are of low grade like any other deposits elsewhere in the other parts of the world. Chalcopyrite is the most common and usual copper mineral; the other minerals have been chalcocite, covellite, bornite, which are all copper and copper-iron sulphides
while enargite, tetrahedride and tenantite are copper, antimony/arsenic sulphides. Apart from these, oxide and carbonate ores of copper such as cuprite, tenorite, mala-chite and azurite also occur in minor quantities. The copper minerals are concentrated by flotation process usually employing xanthates as collectors and pine oil
as frother. Most of the deposits are of complex nature
and needed complicated processes for their beneficiation.
Bornite
Chalcocite
Covellite
Cuprite
Malachite
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Copper extraction techniques
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Copper sulfide
Pentlandite
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Covellite
Bornite
Copper extraction techniques
Copper sulfide
Chalcocite
Sulfide Minerals
Malachite
Hydrometallurgy
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Using the DFT plane-wave pseudopotentials program,the electronic structures of chalcopyrite,chalcocite,covellite and bornite were calculated,and the relationship between electronic structure and flotation property was discussed.Different active positions of copper sulfide in chemical reactions and the reason for different reaction products on copper sulfide surface with xanthate were explored through Fermi level.The results show that chalcopyrite is a direct band-gap p-type semiconductor with band gap of 0.99 eV,while chalcocite,covellite and bornite are all conductor.On the basis of frontier orbital theory,the oxidation differences of four copper sulfides can be well explained.The research results provide new theory reference for ascertaining flotation properties of copper sulfide and screening copper sulfide flotation reagent.
Covellite
Bornite
Chalcocite
Copper sulfide
Xanthate
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Covellite
Bornite
Chalcocite
Copper sulfide
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Chalcocite
Covellite
Bornite
Copper sulfide
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Covellite
Matrix (chemical analysis)
Chemical state
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Generally, the complex sulfide ores are mainly composed of chalcopyrite, galena, sphalerite, pyrite accompanied with many kinds of copper minerals such as chalcocite, covellite, bornite, tetrahedrites and enargite etc.In the separation process their flotation characteristics are different even among the copper minerals. It is very important to catch the flotation behaviours in order to recover the minerals effectively.Floatabilities of chalcopyrite, chalcocite and covellite are comparatively high under the condition of sulfite or sulfur dioxide flotation, however, tetrahedrites and bornite distinctly show low floatabilities. The latter are difficult to recover into copper concentrate for the floatabilities are similar to pyrite or sphalerite.Many flotation tests were conducted for a long time in our laboratory and then separation procedure of the copper minerals has successfully developed and consequently the copper recovery was remarkably increased.It was found that cyanides show an excellent effect in the separation system, some flotation performances and their conditions were described.
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Chalcocite
Covellite
Copper sulfide
Sulfide Minerals
Copper extraction techniques
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