Pressure leaching of copper arsenic-containing mattes with copper sulfate solutions

Abstract

The topicality is shown to improve the processing technology of complex polymetallic raw material containing a considerable amount of toxic impurities of arsenic and lead. Results on pressure leaching the mattes formed after reduction smelting the dusts of OAO Sredneural’skii Copper Smeltery (SUMZ) by solutions of copper sulfate are discussed. These mattes contain a considerable amount of lead and arsenic. According to the data of X-ray phase analysis of matte samples, phases of sulfides (PbS, PbS ⋅ As₂S₃, Cu₂S, FeS, and (Zn,Fe)S) and arsenides (FeAs₂, Cu₃As, FeAs, and Cu_0.85As_0.15), as well as inclusions of metallic copper, are revealed in them. Optimal parameters of matte leaching by copper sulfate solutions are the temperature of 150–180°C, acidity from 5 to 30 g/dm³, and copper concentration of 14–32 g/dm³. This process made it possible to extract 85% As into the solution, while copper and lead remained in the cake in this case.