A comprehensive evaluation on leaching of non-ferrous metals from polymetallic tailings

Abstract

Abstract There is a significant deficit between the supply and demand of critical metals, leading to look for new ways to get high-value elements from mine tailings. In this study, the atmospheric leaching method was applied to extract valuable elements, including copper, zinc, and copper oxide, from a polymetallic ore that was considered a tailing in the mining site. The sample contained 3.28% copper, 13.74% iron, 1.7% zinc, 5.71% lead, and 1.98% oxidized copper. The effect of time, stirrer speed, acid concentration, particle size, and temperature were investigated on the leaching of Cu, CuO, and Zn. The optimum recommended conditions for leaching of polymetallic ore were: acid concentration 0.5 mol L− 1, %solid 25%, and leaching time 1 h. Leaching recoveries of 63.5% for Cut, 97.5% for CuO, 1% for Fe, and 100% for Zn can be achieved under the optimum conditions. The results for the dissolution of metals agreed with mineralogical studies.