Column leaching experiments for two chalcopyrite concentrates agglomerated on supporting particles were performed with sulfuric acid solutions under various conditions. The results of the column leaching were compared to results of shaking flask leaching experiments reported previously.
Factors such as solution composition, coexisting minerals like pyrite, and presence of iron-oxidizing bacteria affected chalcopyrite dissolution, causing a significant variation in the copper extraction fraction vs. time plots. However, copper extraction rate from unit surface area of chalcopyrite could be determined simply from the normalized redox potential proposed previously, a function of the ferric, ferrous and cupric ion concentrations. The copper extraction rate vs. normalized potential plot for the column leaching data fitted well with the plot obtained by shaking flask experiments, and the copper extraction rate has a maximum at normalized potentials of 0.4 to 0.5. These results suggest that the normalized potential could be used to assess and optimize chalcopyrite leaching with different methods and under various conditions.