| About this Abstract |
| Meeting |
2020 TMS Annual Meeting & Exhibition
|
| Symposium
|
Electrometallurgy 2020
|
| Presentation Title |
The Electrochemical Conversion of Chalcopyrite to Less Refractory Mineral Phases for Hydrometallurgical Processing |
| Author(s) |
Jonathan T. Vardner, Campbell A. Donnelly, Zhengyan Zhang, Minghui Wang, Angela A. Ye, Scott Banta, Alan C. West |
| On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Jonathan T. Vardner |
| Abstract Scope |
The high demand for copper is causing a sharp decline in the grade of copper reserves, and as a result, copper scarcities are expected to arise by 2050. In this work, a transformative hydrometallurgical process is being developed to lower the costs of copper production and thereby sustain its use for the coming decades. It has been demonstrated that an electrochemical reactor can convert chalcopyrite into mineral phases that are more susceptible to oxidative treatment. The efficiency of the electrochemical reaction is improved by optimizing the electrode materials, applied current density, and reactor design. The bulk and surface phases of the chalcopyrite mineral during the progression of the electrochemical reaction are monitored using XRD and XPS, respectively. The operating steps for the complete process consist of open-pit mining, concentrating ore, electrochemical conversion, leaching, solvent extraction, and electrowinning. A preliminary analysis suggests that the process can be competitive with industrial standards. |
| Proceedings Inclusion? |
Planned: Supplemental Proceedings volume |