Copper Ion Adsorption on Sphalerites of Various Iron Contents

Abstract

The kinetics for copper ion adsorption on sphalerites of various iron contents were studied by measuring the adsorption of copper ions in the presence of oxygen and in oxygen free circumstances. The relationship between the copper ion adsorption rate and the agitation rate was characterized by a straight line in the log-log plot. With the increase of iron contents in the sphalerite, the copper ion adsorption rate on the sphalerite decreased in the case where oxygen was sufficiently dissolved in the copper ion solution and the pH was high enough. The reaction rate of the copper ion adsorption on sphalerites changed from the rate of a parabolic function to the rate of an exponential function with the increase of iron contents in the sphalerite. As a result, in the above stated conditions, it was surmised that the kinetics for the copper ion adsorption on sphalerites of various iron contents were considerably complex. The kinetics for copper ion adsorption on pyrrhotite were explained by the protective film theory. From the above results, it may be considered that the dissolved oxygen in the pulp is one of the important factors for the copper activation on sphalerites.