DETERMINATION OF DISSOLUTION CONDITIONS OF GALENA CONCENTRATE IN NITRIC ACID SOLUTION WITH HYDROGEN PEROXIDE AUTHOR/S: A. ARAS, G. UCAR, M.

BOYRAZLI, S. AYDOGAN Sunday 1 August 2010 by Libadmin2007 7th International Scientific Conference - SGEM2007, www.sgem.org, SGEM2007 Conference Proceedings/ ISBN: 954-918181-2, June 11-15, 2007 ABSTRACT The leaching conditions of galena (PbS) concentrate in nitric acid (HNO3) medium containing hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) were investigated in this study. Effects of stirring speed in the range of 0 to 600 rpm, nitric acid concentration in the range of 0.1 to 2.0 M, hydrogen peroxide concentration in the range of 0.25 to 2.0 M, leaching temperature in the range of 23 to 60C, particle size range of -212 +106, -106 +75, -75 +45 m on lead dissolution were investigated. According to obtained results, it was determined that the lead dissolution from galena in nitric acid medium with hydrogen peroxide was directly proportional by nitric acid and hydrogen peroxide concentrations and leaching temperature. It was increased with decreasing particle size. In addition to the lead dissolution from galena was independent by stirring speed. The lead dissolution of 100% was obtained by in following conditions: leaching time of 90 minutes, stirring speed of 200 rpm, nitric acid concentration of 0.75 M, hydrogen peroxide concentration of 1.0 M, leaching temperature of 50 C, particle size of -75 +45 m and solid/liquid ratio of 1/500 g/ml. Keywords: Galena, nitric acid, hydrogen peroxide, dissolution. Kinetics of galena dissolution in nitric acid solutions with hydrogen peroxide Salih Aydoan , Murat Erdemolu, Gkhan Uar, Ali Aras. Abstract The extraction of lead from a galena concentrate in nitric acid solutions with additional hydrogen peroxide was studied taking stirring speed, temperature, hydrogen peroxide and nitric acid concentrations, and particle size as dissolution parameters. The dissolution curves followed the surface chemical reaction controlled shrinking core model over the whole range of parameters, except at high nitric acid concentrations where the reaction was diffusion-controlled. The activation energy of 42 kJ mol 1 and a linear relationship between rate and inverse particle size support the reaction controlled dissolution mechanism. Hydrogen peroxide addition accelerated the reaction compared with nitric acid alone. It was concluded that the dissolution process is favourable, since the acid consumed for oxidation of galena can easily be regenerated in the same reactor by means of hydrogen peroxide. Keywords Galena; Nitric acid; Hydrogen peroxide; Dissolution; Shrinking core model.

A kinetic study of the fluosilicic acid leaching of galena was performed under the presence of different oxidants. Fluosilicic acid concentration, agitation speed, concentration of solids and particle size, type and concentration of oxidant, and temperature were the variables studied. Hydrogen peroxide was found to be the most effective oxidant, its effectiveness being proportional to its concentration. As expected, an increase of leaching temperature increased the overall extraction and extraction rate. The same was found by decreasing the galena particle size. It is thought that leaching using hydrogen peroxide is controlled by fluid film mass transfer due to the calculated apparent activation energy. Reaction by-products such as sulfur and sulfur compounds retard the leaching rate. A mathematical model is proposed and compared to experimental results.