Copper extraction from oxide ore of Almalyk mine by H2SO4 in simulated heap leaching : effect of particle size and acid concentration

ABSTRACT: In this investigation, a laboratory-scale study to extract copper (Cu) from its oxide ore (0.425–11.2 mm particle size) was conducted using varied sulfuric acid (H2SO4) concentrations (0.05–0.5 M) as a lixiviant. Through a physicochemical and mineralogical analysis of real field ore samples from the Almalyk mine heap site (Tashkent, Uzbekistan), malachite was identified as a Cu-bearing mineral. Extraction rates were analyzed according to the ore particle size and acid concentration. The Cu extraction with the smallest particle size (in 24 h) varied between 76.7% and 94.26% at varied H2SO4 concentrations (0.05–0.5 M). Almost half (50%) of Cu was extracted from the ore within 4 and 72 h of contact time for 0.425–2 mm and 5.6–11.2 mm particle sizes, respectively, using 0.15 M H2SO4. Weeklong leaching experiments with 0.5 M H2SO4 revealed a higher copper extraction rate (≥73%) from coarse ore particles (5.6–11.2 mm). Along with the copper extraction, iron (29.6 wt%), aluminum (70.2 wt%), magnesium (85.4 wt%), and calcium (44.4 wt%) were also leached out considerably through the dissolution of silicate and carbonate gangue minerals. In this study, an 80.0–94.26% copper extraction rate with reduced acid consumption (20%) proved to be a cost-effective approach

Mesoporous Silica Derived from Municipal Solid Waste Incinerator (MSWI) Ash Slag: Synthesis, Characterization and Use as Supports for Au(III) Recovery

In this study, the effect of NaOH on the synthesis of mesoporous silica (MS) by using municipal solid-waste incinerator (MSWI) ash slag was investigated. Moreover, the prepared MS was used as a support to evaluate its potential for the recovery of gold ions (Au(III)) from aqueous solution. The extraction process for the MSWI ash slag activated through mechanical grinding entailed alkali treatment, using varying concentrations of NaOH. The content of Si extracted from MSWI ash slag increased with the increasing grinding time and NaOH concentration. As the NaOH concentration increased, the pore structure (e.g., Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area and pore volume) of the synthesized MS improved. In addition, the amount of adsorbed Au(III) increased with increasing sulfur content immobilized on the support, and the sulfur content was in turn governed by the silanol content of the MS support. The adsorbent prepared by using the MS-3M support exhibited the highest Au(III) adsorption capacity (110.3 mg/g), and its adsorption–desorption efficiency was not significantly affected even after five adsorption–desorption cycles

Formation of Mesoporous Materials from Silica Dissolved in Various NaOH Concentrations: Effect of pH and Ionic Strength

We describe the effects of NaOH/SiO2 ratio and pH on the formation of mesoporous materials, which was synthesized via an alkali-metal hydroxide fusion method, from amorphous silica dissolved in NaOH. Physical properties (e.g., specific surface area, pore volume, and pore size) of mesoporous materials synthesized at different conditions (i.e., pH, NaOH/SiO2 ratio) were evaluated through X-ray diffraction, nitrogen adsorption-desorption, and transmission electron microscope analyses. The results showed that, at the NaOH/SiO2 ratios of 0.5, 1, and 2, gels were successfully synthesized while no product was formed at the NaOH/SiO2 ratios greater than 2. Additionally, mesoporous materials were found to be formed at both pH 10 and 11 while they were unstable under more alkaline conditions. The adsorption/desorption isotherm results for the mesoporous materials synthesized at around pH 11 and with NaOH/SiO2 ratios of 0.5–0.8 showed a hysteresis loop characteristic of the bottle-neck pore shape. Furthermore, mesoporous materials with good physical properties were synthesized from all gels at pH 10 regardless of sodium concentration

Relationship between Synthesis Conditions and Photocatalytic Activity of Nanocrystalline TiO2

The degradation efficiency of methylene blue by TiO2 nanoparticles, which were synthesized under different synthesis conditions (i.e., molar ratio of water and titanium tetraisopropoxide (TTIP), pH, and calcination temperature) in a sol-gel process, was systematically investigated. The results showed that increasing the molar ratio of water and TTIP led to the enhanced photocatalytic activity of TiO2 nanoparticles, which were likely attributed to the increased specific surface area of TiO2 nanoparticles synthesized with high molar ratio. The results were supported by the relative increase in the size of interaggregated pores of the aggregated TiO2 nanoparticles. The best photocatalytic activity of TiO2 nanoparticles was observed at acidic synthesis conditions; however, the results were not consistent with physical properties for the crystallinity and the crystallite size of TiO2 nanoparticles but rather explained by the presence of abundant hydroxyl groups and water molecules existing on the surface of TiO2 under acidic synthesis environments. Furthermore, methylene blue degradation experiments revealed that the photocatalytic activity of TiO2 nanoparticles was maximized at the calcination temperature of 700°C. The trend was likely due to the combined effect of the anatase crystallinity which showed the highest value at 700°C and the crystallite size/specific surface area which did not excessively increase up to 700°C

Effect of Poly(vinyl alcohol) Concentration on the Micro/Mesopore Structure of SBA15 Silica

In this work, a series of micro/mesoporous SBA15 silica materials were synthesized using P123 and poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) as co-templates. The pore structure of the prepared SBA15 was observed to be a function of the PVA concentration. When the amount of PVA was relatively small, the specific surface area, micropore volume, and pore wall thickness of the synthesized SBA15 were considerably large. By contrast, when a large amount of PVA was added, the pore wall thickness was greatly reduced, but the mesopore volume and size increased. This is because the added PVA interacted with the polyethylene oxide (PEO) in the shells of the P123 micelles. Furthermore, when the amount of PVA was increased, the core polypropylene oxide (PPO) block also increased, owing to the enhanced aggregation of the P123/PVA mixed micelles. This research contributes to a basic comprehension of the cooperative interactions and formation process underlying porous silica materials, assisting in the rational design and synthesis of micro/mesoporous materials

Pore Characteristics and Hydrothermal Stability of Mesoporous Silica: Role of Oleic Acid

Silicate mesoporous materials were synthesized with nonionic surfactant and their surfaces were modified by oleic acid adsorption. Infrared spectrometer, nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherm, scanning electron microscopy, and thermogravimetric analyses were used to investigate the structure of oleic acid modified mesoporous material. The effects of heat treatment at various temperatures on oleic acid modified materials were also studied. Oleic acids on silica surfaces were found to be bonded chemically and/or physically and be capable of enduring up to 180°C. The adsorbed oleic acid improved the hydrothermal stability of mesoporous silica and assisted mesopore structure to grow more in hydrothermal treatment process by preventing the approach of water

Pore Structure Characterization of Shale Using Gas Physisorption: Effect of Chemical Compositions

In this study, the pore structure characteristics of Canadian Horn River basin shales with various chemical compositions were evaluated using gas physisorption analyses. The samples used in this research were obtained from two different regions (shallow and deep regions) of rock cuttings during the drilling of the shale gas field located in Horn River basin. The pore size, specific surface area, total pore volume, micropore surface area, and micropore volume of the shale samples were measured using both nitrogen and CO2. The results indicated that the pore size was not a function of chemical composition, while distinct trends were observed for other macroscopic and microscopic pore-related properties. In particular, the greatest specific surface area and total pore volume were observed for silica-rich carbonate shales, while clay-rich siliceous shales exhibited the greatest micropore volume and micropore surface area. The trends clearly suggested that macroscopic and microscopic pore-related properties of the Canadian Horn River basin shales were closely related to their chemical composition. Furthermore, a stronger correlation was observed between the quartz content and the micropore-related physical properties of shales (i.e., the micropore surface area and micropore volume) in comparison to other properties