Investigation of copper(I) sulphide leaching in oxidative hydrochloric acid solution

Abstract

Present work is focused on the copper (I) sulphide leaching with sodium chloride in hydrochloric acid solution and with introduction of gaseous oxygen. Chemical reactions of leaching and their thermodynamic probabilities are predicted based on the literature data and products which were formed during the process and the overall leaching reaction was defined. The influence of temperature and time on the leaching degree of copper was experimentally determined. The quantity of dissolved copper increases with the increase of both investigated parameters. Elemental sulphur was formed as the main leaching product, precipitated at the particle surfaces and chloride ions have a role to disrupt the creation of this passive layer.