Abstract

Investigation into the Sulphidation Process of Mineral and Anthropogenic Copper Raw Materials with Elemental Sulfur

Author(s): A. Serikbayeva, F. Berdikulova, N. Zhumakynbay, Toktarbay Zh and J. Wilson

The object of this research is the sulphidation of both the mine tailings from the Zhezkazgan concentrating mill (ZhCM) and the mixed copper ore deposits of Bozschakol. The composition of ZhCM tailings and Bozschakol ore deposits were analysized by X-ray Diffraction. The sulphidation process was carried out from 300oC to 800oC to investigate the influence of heat on the sulphidation process. The results showed that 300oC – 400oC was the best temperature for sulphidation. In addition, the effect of changing the mass percentage of sulphur during sulphidation process was discussed. Reusing mine tailings to extract valuable metals and decrease environmental hazards is also investigated in this article.