Investigating the impact of pretreating a waste copper smelter dust for likely higher recovery of copper.
Okanigbe, D.O. Popoola, A.P.I. Adeleke, A.A. Otunniyi, I.O. Popoola, O.M.
Okanigbe, D.O.
Popoola, A.P.I.
Adeleke, A.A.
Otunniyi, I.O.
Popoola, O.M.
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Abstract
The presence of contaminants and poor porosity structure, pose a challenge to efficient copper recovery from a waste copper smelter dust (CSD), a bye product of copper pyrometallurgy. This report presents the impact of two pretreatment methods (oxidative roasting and centrifugal classification) on possible higher copper recovery from the waste CSD produced during copper smelting in South Africa. The primary waste CSD (AS), its roast products (RP) and concentrates (CT) were characterized with the XRF, BET and SEM for changes in the level of contaminants and porosity structures. The SEM images, showed, pictorially that the reduction in BET surface area from 4.1730m2/g (AS) to 0.4634m2/g (RP) was because of agglomeration of smaller particles to form larger once, while 4.1730 m2/g (AS) to 0.3321 m2/g (CT) was shown to be because of the reduction/removal of smaller particles after density separation, leaving behind large particles. Consequently, resulting in significant increase in the average pore diameter from 82.9530Å (AS) to 233.5759Ả (RP) and 410.8530Å (CT). It was therefore concluded that the goal of %reduction in contaminants (mullite-62.70% and quartz-67.23%), together with improved external porosity structure (pore diameter = +400% CT) and internal porosity structures (cracks and peels), were achieved after centrifugal classification (i.e. Knelson gravity concentrator) of AS; which should allow for an enhanced contact time between the acid and copper value in the following leaching step, therefore a likely higher copper recovery from the AS.
Description
2nd International Conference on Sustainable Materials Processing and Manufacturing (SMPM 2019).
Date
2019-01-01
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Publisher
Elsevier
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Keywords
Density separation, Oxidative roasting, Porosity structure