Mechanism of stibnite volatilization at high temperature

Abstract

The volatilization of stibnite (Sb₂S₃) in nitrogen from 700 to 1000 °C was investigated by using thermogravimetric analysis. The results indicate that in inert atmosphere, stibnite can be volatilized most efficiently as Sb₂S₃ (g) at a linear rate below 850 °C, with activation energy of 137.18 kJ/mol, and the reaction rate constant can be expressed as k=206901exp(−16.5/T). Stibnite can be decomposed into Sb and sulfur at temperature above 850 °C in a nitrogen atmosphere. However, in the presence of oxygen, stibnite is oxidized into Sb and SO₂ gas at high temperature. Otherwise, Sb is oxidized quickly into antimony oxides such as Sb₂O₃ and SbO₂, while Sb₂O₃ can be volatilized efficiently at high temperature.

Keywords

stibnite / volatilization / nitrogen / thermogravimetric analysis

References

[1] AweS A, Sandstrom. Electrowinning of antimony from model sulphide alkaline solutions [J]. Hydrometallurgy, 2013, 137(5): 60-67

[2] MahlanguT, GudyangaF P, SimbiD J. Reductive leaching of stibnite (Sb₂S₃) flotation concentrate using metallic iron in a hydrochloric acid medium I: Thermodynamics [J]. Hydrometallurgy, 2006, 84(2): 192-203

[3] AndersonC G. The metallurgy of antimony [J]. Chemie der Erde-Geochemistry, 2012, 72(4): 3-8

[4] MinzF, BolinN, LambergP, WanhainenC. Detailed characterisation of antimony mineralogy in a geometallurgical context at the Rockliden ore deposit North-Central Sweden [J]. Miner Engineering, 2013, 32(7): 148-152

[5] AweS A, SundkvistJ, BolinN, Sandstrom. Process flowsheet development for recovering antimony from Sb-bearing copper concentrates [J]. Miner Engineering, 2013, 49(2): 45-53

[6] YangJ-g, TangC-b, ChenY-m, TangM-tang. Separation of antimony from a stibnite concentrate through a low-temperature smelting process to eliminate SO₂ emission [J]. Metallurgical and Materials Transactions B, 2011, 42(2): 30-36

[7] LagerT, ForssbergK S E. Current processing technology for antimony-bearing ores: A review, part 2 [J]. Miner Engineering, 1989, 2: 543-556

[8] ChenY-m, HuangC, TangM-t, YaoW-y, TangC-b, PiG-hua. Production of antimony by directly reducing-matting smelting of stibnite concentrate [J]. The Chinese Journal of Nonferrous Metals, 2005, 15(7): 1311-1316

[9] TangM-t, JinG-zhong. Industrial experiment on the volatilization-matte making smelting of antimony concentrate bearing high copper in blast furnace [J]. The Chinese Journal of Nonferrous Metals, 2007, 48(3): 34-36

[10] BalazP, AchimovicovaM, FiceriovaJ, KammelR, ŠepelakV. Leaching of antimony and mercury from mechanically activated tetrahedrite Cu₁₂Sb₄S₁₃ [J]. Hydrometallurgy, 1998, 47(3): 297-307

[11] UbaldiniS, VeglioF, FomariP, AbbruzzeseC. Process flow-sheet for gold and antimony recovery from stibnite [J]. Hydrometallurgy, 2000, 57(13): 187-199

[12] RiverosP A. The removal of antimony from copper electrolytes using amino-phosphonic resins: Improving the elution of pentavalent antimony [J]. Hydrometallurgy, 2010, 105(5): 110-114

[13] CelepO, AlpI, DeveciH. Improved gold and silver extraction from a refractory antimony ore by pretreatment with alkaline sulphide leach [J]. Hydrometallurgy, 2011, 105(3): 234-239

[14] YangJ-g, YangS-h, TangC-bo. The membrane electrowinning separation of antimony from a stibnite concentrate [J]. Metallurgical and Materials Transactions B, 2010, 41(7): 527-534

[15] ZivkovicZ, StrbacN, ZivkovicD, GrujicicD, BoyanovB. Kinetics and mechanism of Sb₂S₃ oxidation process [J]. Thermochim Acta, 2002, 383(1): 137-143

[16] HuaY-x, YangY, ZhuF-liang. Volatilization kinetics of Sb₂S₃ in steam atmosphere [J]. Journal of Materials Sciences and Technology, 2003, 6(3): 619-622