Dissolution Mechanisms of Sulfide Minerals

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Insinööritieteiden korkeakoulu | Bachelor's thesis
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Date

2024-12-20

Department

Major/Subject

Chemical Engineering

Mcode

CHEM3054

Degree programme

Aalto Bachelor’s Programme in Science and Technology

Language

en

Pages

51

Series

Abstract

The importance of sulfide minerals, including pyrite (FeS2), chalcopyrite (CuFeS2), sphalerite (ZnS), galena (PbS), and pentlandite ((Fe,Ni)9S8), lies in the high in dustrial extraction of metals from them and large environmental applications. The literature review will therefore focus on the underlying mechanisms of their dissolution, emphasizing the electrochemical pathways, the role of environmental factors, and the relative efficiencies of leaching. An integration of literature available, emphasis is given on the role of anodic and cathodic reactions, the passivation layer, and pH, temperature, and catalytic agents’ effect on dissolution rates. The primary conclusions drawn are that, whereas the dissolution of sphalerite and pyrite is exceptional under acidic, oxidizing conditions, chalcopyrite suffers from severe passivation problems. Microbial activity and catalytic agents, such as ferric ions and silver ions, severely reduce these problems thus enhancing dissolution rates. This paper underlines semiconductor characteristics affecting dissolution dynamics and demonstrates considerable variations in leaching efficiency for the different sulfide minerals. The study yields important results in the optimization of hydrometallurgical processes and makes practical recommendations for the improvement of metal recovery with reduced environmental impact. Future research efforts include improved bioleaching technologies and detailed knowledge of semiconductor properties to overcome current challenges regarding the dissolution of sulfide minerals.

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Supervisor

Michael, Hummel

Thesis advisor

Aromaa, Jari

Keywords

sulfide minerals, dissolution mechanisms, electrochemical reactions, bioleaching

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https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:aalto-202502252570

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[kand] Insinööritieteiden korkeakoulu / ENG