Mineralogical analysis and kinetics of oxidative alkaline leaching of arsenic, lead, and zinc from copper smelting dust

Abstract

The process mineralogy and oxidative alkaline leaching kinetics of copper smelting dust were studied. Mineralogical analysis showed that Cu, Pb, and Zn mainly exist as sulfates, while most As is present as As₂O₃. The metals and As are uniformly distributed and intermingled, with acid-soluble and acid-insoluble phases intricately embedded, which may impact leaching and separation. Under the condition of particle size of 53–74 µm, leaching temperature of 90 µC, leaching time of 60 min, NaOH concentration of 3.5 mol/L, a liquid-solid ratio of 8:1, the molar mass ratio of H₂O₂ to As₂O₃ being 1.2, and a constant stirring speed of 300 r·min⁻¹, the leaching efficiencies of the As, Pb and Zn can reach 97.27%, 82.88% and 98.11%. The oxidative alkaline leaching kinetics of copper smelting dust showed that the leaching efficiencies of As, Pb, and Zn increased with rising temperature, NaOH concentration, and leaching time, kinetic analysis indicated that the Avrami model effectively describes the leaching mechanism of these elements. The grain parameters were 0.173, 0.100, and 0.238, with activation energies of 6.73 kJ/mol, 4.00 kJ/mol, and 4.94 kJ/mol, and reaction orders of 0.48, 0.21, and 0.36, respectively. These results suggest that the leaching of As, Pb, and Zn is diffusion-controlled, and corresponding kinetic equations were established.

Keywords

copper smelting dust / process mineralogy / oxidative alkaline leaching / Avrami model / diffusion control

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