Abstract

MENDEZ-VELASCO, Carlos Uriel; CALLA-CHOQUE, Dandy; FUENTES-RUBIO, Joshua Emmanuel  and  REYNA-ROBELO, Mauricio Joaquin. Chalcopyrite Leaching with Ethylenediaminetetraacetic Acid (EDTA) in Oxidizing Medium. Epistemus (Sonora) [online]. 2023, vol.17, n.34, pp.85-91.  Epub Dec 08, 2023. ISSN 2007-8196.  https://doi.org/10.36790/epistemus.v17i34.274.

In nature, copper is presented predominantly as sulfide complexes, chalcopyrite (CuFeS2), bornite (Cu5FeS4), and chalcocite (Cu2S). Copper recovery from chalcopyrite by leaching is difficult due to chemical stability and involves using complex systems for long-term treatment. In the present work, an alternative for leaching chalcopyrite under controlled conditions is presented to evaluate the effect of pH, EDTA concentration, and hydrogen peroxide on copper recovery. With the help of a factorial design, the aim is to optimize the copper recovery process with less iron dissolution. According to the experimental results, a low concentration of EDTA (0.0006 M) promotes the selective dissolution of copper (20.04%) and low dissolution of iron (0.2%) at pH 4.5 and room temperature.

Keywords : Chalcopyrite; Hydrometallurgy; Leaching; EDTA.