SOGHRA SALEHI - Department of Mining Engineering, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
mohammad noaparast - School of Mining Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Tehran, Iran
seied ziaodin shafaie - School of Mining Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Tehran, Iran

This work presents an investigation on the chalcopyrite leaching under different conditions, and studies the surficial characteristics ofchalcopyrite using Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) to determine the composition of the passivation layer on the surface of chalcopyrite.The study of chalcopyrite dissolution was carried out in H2SO4 solution systems at pH of 1.2, with a chalcopyrite concentrate 5% in the redoxpotential of 460 mV at 90°C. The tests were meant to study the leaching of chalcopyrite in ferric sulfate solution to extract copper by addingpyrite, silver and silver coated pyrite. Using these approaches, the achieved recoveries were different. The results showed that in presence ofpyrite, an elemental sulfur layer formed around chalcopyrite particles which hindered the complete dissolution of copper in chalcopyrite. Nocommercial process has been so far developed using silver as a catalyst to recover copper from chalcopyrite due to precipitation ofargentojarosite which forms during the leaching process and limits the availability of silver ion as a catalyst. But, silver and pyrite assemblageto form silver coated pyrite caused an increase in dissolution. However, in presence of the pyrite coated silver, the leaching rate was very fast,and complete copper extraction was achieved within 10 hours.

Chalcopyrite, passivation, Pyrite, silver, SEM