The dissolution of platinum-group metals (PGMs) requires a high chloride ion concentration in an acidic solution and a suitable oxidant. At Impala Platinum Refinery, the concentrate is leached in a hydrochloric acid solution using chlorine gas as the oxidant. The goal of this leaching step is a total dissolution of the PGMs and gold. The silver precipitates as silver chloride. The efficiency of this stage is crucial for the performance of the precious metals refinery. The aim of this project is to investigate the factors that influence the efficiency of the PGM leaching operation and to model for the results obtained. In order to investigate and evaluate the total dissolution of the PGt;~; in HClICl2 leach system, it is necessary to establish the effective conditions for the dissolution of chlorine gas in hydrochloric acid solution. The results showed that the solubility of chlorine gas increases with an increase in the acid concentration and chlorine gas concentration but decreases as the temperature increases. The HCI solution is almost saturated with chlorine after about 50 minutes. The chlorine mass' msfer coefficient is dependent on the temperature, the stirrer speed, the concentration of the HCI solution and that of the chlorine. [Abbreviated abstract. Open document to view full version] / GR 2016

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:31:00Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2010-07-15Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T20:41:04Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 blandon_nam_dr_araiq.pdf: 1604539 bytes, checksum: 04a560f1fafec8780368e656b90e1e36 (MD5) / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) / Uma possibilidade para a recuperação de metais a partir de minerais com baixos teores ou de rejeitos industriais é a utilização da lixiviação com micro-organismos. A biolixiviação é o processo de oxidação bacteriana de sulfetos metálicos contendo metais de valor (por exemplo, níquel, cobre ou zinco), os quais são liberados para a solução, seguida da recuperação por técnicas metalúrgicas convencionais. Estudos de biolixiviação de concentrados de sulfetos minerais em tanques agitados e, sobretudo em pilhas, têm sido desenvolvidos em escala piloto e comercial. Entretanto, poucos trabalhos têm sido realizados sobre o aproveitamento de rejeitos minerais de processos convencionais, tais como flotação ou fusão em forno “flash”, por rotas biotecnológicas. O objetivo deste trabalho foi recuperar níquel e cobre de rejeitos industriais, provenientes de processo de flotação e de fusão, utilizando bactérias, especialmente da espécie Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans ou pelo uso de soluções ácidas, em escala de laboratório. Também foram realizados experimentos de biolixiviação de um sulfeto de níquel (pentlandita) para avaliar o processo de solubilização do metal. Conjuntamente, outros experimentos foram realizados com a finalidade de se obter novas linhagens isoladas a partir destes rejeitos minerais. Suas diferenças fisiológicas foram avaliadas. A partir dos experimentos com os rejeitos encontrou-se que com a escória foi possível obter 13% de níquel e 8 % de cobre em solução após 14 dias de lixiviação biológica. Com soluções ácidas, em pH 0,5 e 1,0, as recuperações foram de 56% de níquel e 24% de cobre em pH 0,5 enquanto que em pH 1,0 as concentrações foram de 21% e 12% de niquele e cobre, respectivamente. Para a recuperação de níquel e cobre deste rejeito sugere-se a lixiviação ácida e não bacteriana. Com a lama as porcentagens... / Bacterial leaching is a feasible to recover metals from minerals with low grade or from mine wastes using microorganisms. The bioleaching process is the bacterial oxidation of valuables metals bearing sulphide minerals (e.g. nickel, copper or zinc), which are released to the solution, followed by conventional recovered by metallurgical techniques. Studies on bioleaching of sulphide minerals concentrates in stirred tanks and, particularly, in heaps, have been developed on pilot and commercial scales. However, few studies have been undertaken on using of mineral wastes from conventional processes such as flotation or flashing smelting through biotechnological routes. This work aims at recovering nickel and copper from industrial wastes such as flotation tailings and slag using bacteria, especially Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans species, or using acid solutions at laboratory scale. Experiments were also accomplished for nickel sulfide bioleaching to evaluate the metal dissolution process, for comparison purpose. Other experiments were also carried out to obtain new strains isolated from mineral waste to study the physiological differences between them. After 14 days of bioleaching of slag it was possible to extract 13% of nickel and 8% of copper in solution while with acid solutions the extractions were 56% of nickel and 24% of copper at pH 0.5 and 21% and 12% at pH 1.0, respectively. For the metals solubilization from the slag it is suggested the acid leaching instead of bioleaching. With the flotation tailings the recoveries of nickel and copper were 23% e 16% at pH 0.5 or 1.0 while after 14 days with bioleaching the concentrations in solution were 46 % and 17% for nickel and copper. These results show that the flotation tailings can be treated with biological leaching for a higher recovery of metals. The studies of nickel sulfide bioleaching with different bacterial species reached only... (Complete abstract click electronic access below)

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Chalcopyrite (CuFeS2) is the most abundant of the copper sulfides and also one of the most refractory for leaching. Several processing routes have been proposed to overcome drawbacks associated with environmental problems related to copper extraction from this mineral. Atmospheric leaching in acidic ferric sulfate is regarded as being particularly attractive over other hydrometallurgical systems. However, the challenge has been to overcome the problem of slow extraction rates due to passivity encountered at high solution potentials in this system. This highlights the need to investigate better operating conditions to optimize copper extraction and prevent the problem of passivation, and to develop suitable modeling tools to assess and diagnose leaching performance. In this work, a dissolution rate expression for chalcopyrite leaching in acidic ferric sulfate media is proposed accounting for effects in the active and passive regions under potentials from 415 to 550 mV (Ag/AgCl). A model of chemical speciation in the bulk solution elucidates the idea of passivation caused by precipitation of ferric species and their consequent adsorption onto the chalcopyrite surface. Electrochemical studies on massive samples of chalcopyrite involving characterization and modeling of the anodic and cathodic half-cell reactions of chalcopyrite leaching together with mixed potential considerations lead to the development of the mathematical expression for dissolution rate. The mathematical model was calibrated with electrochemical parameters and results are in good agreement with real leaching data from batch tests for solution potential regions where passivity is not observed. On the other hand, the passive region was modeled by means of adjusting parameters related to adsorption energies of the passivating species. Results of the model for this region deviate from real data as potential becomes higher probably due to diffusion resistance through a layer composed of ferric complexes.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Queensland, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references.

M. Tech. Chemical Engineering / The depreciation of high grade sulphide ores has resulted to the use of low grade laterites to meet the global nickel demand. Available low grade laterite ore reserves in South Africa are underutilised. Suitable metallurgical process for recovery of nickel from these reserves is not yet implemented because the mineralogy is not well understood. Hence, in this research the mineralogy and recovery of nickel from low grade laterites was studied through electrochemical process. The research shows that it is feasible to selectively recover nickel from the low grade laterite ore using electrochemical leaching method. It is recommended that optimization of the electrochemical cell design be looked into to evaluate the possibility of scaling up for industry application.

The natural leaching of vanadium(V) with CO2 from soil-water in the presence of ammonia, a known precursor to atmospheric aerosols, has been tested by bubbling carbon dioxide through soil suspension with varying amount of ammonia. It was found that the leaching of V(V) is enhanced in the presence of ammonia. From the results of the investigation, it could be concluded that atmospheric CO2 in the presence of ammonia (the only atmospheric gas that increases the pH of soil-water) could naturally leach V(V) from soil. Furthermore, it was also shown that the presence of (NH4)2CO3 in soil could enhance the leaching of toxic V(V) species thereby making it bioavailable for both plants and animals.

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