Utilization of polluting CO2 gas to produce copper from low grade ore waste by single stage combined hydro and electrometallurgical process

Abstract

The objectives of the present investigation to decrease the global pollution by utilizing the CO2 gas, in an effective way to produce the valuable metal copper, using low grade Cu ore which is termed as waste and not used for conventional Cu production. So the idea being waste and polluting waste are converted to useful products which will create employment, boost economy and reduce environment pollution. It is a innovative scheme for startup. Carbonic acid produced by dissolving green house gas CO2 was used for leaching low grade chalcopyrite ore under oxidizing condition. It is a single stage process with a single reactor where combined hydrometallurgical and electrometallurgical process occur. At anode an oxidizing condition is produced by dragging electron thereby increasing the rate of hydrometallurgical extraction producing Cu++ from CuFeS2. This generated Cu++ is simultaneously deposited at the cathode in the same reactor. The Cu produced was analyzed and identified by RDR. The electrical power and energy consumption were computed. In the conventional cu extraction process from CuFeS2, sulphur come out as SO2, the harmful polluting gas, in contrast in this process, sulphur came out as elemental sulphur and can be sold as byproduct.