Investigation of Mechanism and Kinetics of Chalcopyrite Concentrate Oxidation Process

The roasting of chalcopyrite, the most exploited copper mineral, presents a very important step in the copper extraction during the traditional smelting-refining process, as well as in advanced processes in copper metalurgy 1-2 . Consequently, numerous researches have been investigated, in order to study the chalcopyrite oxidative roasting parameters, its mechanism and reactions involved 1-16 . These references deal with pure chalcopyrite mineral oxidation and with the oxidation process of chalcopyrite concentrates, also. Although there are slight differences in the sequence of phase changes occurring in Cu-Fe-S-O system 1, 5, 6, 10 , following main reactions proceed during the roasting of chalcopyrite as suggested in 1 :