A review on novel techniques for chalcopyrite ore processing

Abstract

Chalcopyrite ores are usually processed by means of hydrometallurgical or pyrometallurgical processes, but due to environmental aspects and the possibility of increased exploitation of mixed and lower grade ores and relatively small isolated deposits, there has been a worldwide upsurge of interest in the hydrometallurgical processes of this ore as compared to pyrometallurgy. The different concentrates obtained through differential flotation in pyrometallurgy are usually of poor quality with low metal recovery. This further makes pyrometallurgical processing of chalcopyrite very difficult and costly and rendered them difficult to commercialize. As a result, the metal value is preferably extracted directly from low grade ores through hydrometallurgical process. A detailed review of chalcopyrite deposits, production and consumption, mining, ore processing, steps involved in the pyrometallurgical and hydrometallurgical processing of copper as well as the dissolution kinetics and microbial studies of chalcopyrite ore were discussed.