Recycling Potential of Copper-Bearing Waelz Slag via Oxidative Sulfuric Acid Leaching
Copper-bearing Waelz slag (CBWS) is a solid by-product of the Waelz process, the disposal of which faces significant environmental challenges. In this study, oxidative sulfuric acid leaching was applied for the recovery of valuable elements from a CBWS sample containing 26.23% Fe, 0.82% Cu, and 0.81...
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2025-03-01
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| author | Pavel Grudinsky Ekaterina Vasileva Valery Dyubanov |
| author_facet | Pavel Grudinsky Ekaterina Vasileva Valery Dyubanov |
| author_sort | Pavel Grudinsky |
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| description | Copper-bearing Waelz slag (CBWS) is a solid by-product of the Waelz process, the disposal of which faces significant environmental challenges. In this study, oxidative sulfuric acid leaching was applied for the recovery of valuable elements from a CBWS sample containing 26.23% Fe, 0.82% Cu, and 0.81% Zn. Experimental leaching was conducted at temperature ranges, durations, and solid-to-liquid (S/L) ratios of 25–90 °C, 5–240 min, and 0.05–0.5 g/cm<sup>3</sup>, respectively. The consumption rates of H<sub>2</sub>SO<sub>4</sub> and H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> ranged within 9.18–15.29 mmol/g and 0–7.35 mmol/g, which, at a 1:4:1 g/cm<sup>3</sup>/cm<sup>3</sup> ratio, were equal to 225–375 g/dm<sup>3</sup> H<sub>2</sub>SO<sub>4</sub> and 0–250 g/dm<sup>3</sup> H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub>, respectively. Various oxidants such as H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub>, MnO<sub>2</sub>, air, oxygen, and Fe<sup>3+</sup> ions were tested in the leaching experiments. The optimal leaching conditions were proven to be a temperature of 70 °C, duration of 180 min, S/L ratio of 0.2 g/cm<sup>3</sup>, and consumption rate of 13.4 mmol H<sub>2</sub>SO<sub>4</sub>/g. These leaching conditions led to the recovery of 96.1% Fe, 87.0% Cu, and 86.9% Zn with the addition of 2.94 mmol H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub>/g and 95.2% Fe, 84.7% Cu, and 67.5% Zn with the addition of 0.095 g MnO<sub>2</sub>/g. These results suggest that metallic iron particles contained in a CBWS sample complicate copper dissolution. |
| format | Article |
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| institution | DOAJ |
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| spelling | doaj-art-d0824e5692eb4868a88c351e18e913fc2025-08-20T02:42:22ZengMDPI AGMetals2075-47012025-03-0115333010.3390/met15030330Recycling Potential of Copper-Bearing Waelz Slag via Oxidative Sulfuric Acid LeachingPavel Grudinsky0Ekaterina Vasileva1Valery Dyubanov2I.P. Bardin Laboratory of Issues of Complex Ore Metallurgy, A.A. Baikov Institute of Metallurgy and Materials Science, Russian Academy of Science, 49 Leninsky Prosp., 119334 Moscow, RussiaI.P. Bardin Laboratory of Issues of Complex Ore Metallurgy, A.A. Baikov Institute of Metallurgy and Materials Science, Russian Academy of Science, 49 Leninsky Prosp., 119334 Moscow, RussiaI.P. Bardin Laboratory of Issues of Complex Ore Metallurgy, A.A. Baikov Institute of Metallurgy and Materials Science, Russian Academy of Science, 49 Leninsky Prosp., 119334 Moscow, RussiaCopper-bearing Waelz slag (CBWS) is a solid by-product of the Waelz process, the disposal of which faces significant environmental challenges. In this study, oxidative sulfuric acid leaching was applied for the recovery of valuable elements from a CBWS sample containing 26.23% Fe, 0.82% Cu, and 0.81% Zn. Experimental leaching was conducted at temperature ranges, durations, and solid-to-liquid (S/L) ratios of 25–90 °C, 5–240 min, and 0.05–0.5 g/cm<sup>3</sup>, respectively. The consumption rates of H<sub>2</sub>SO<sub>4</sub> and H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> ranged within 9.18–15.29 mmol/g and 0–7.35 mmol/g, which, at a 1:4:1 g/cm<sup>3</sup>/cm<sup>3</sup> ratio, were equal to 225–375 g/dm<sup>3</sup> H<sub>2</sub>SO<sub>4</sub> and 0–250 g/dm<sup>3</sup> H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub>, respectively. Various oxidants such as H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub>, MnO<sub>2</sub>, air, oxygen, and Fe<sup>3+</sup> ions were tested in the leaching experiments. The optimal leaching conditions were proven to be a temperature of 70 °C, duration of 180 min, S/L ratio of 0.2 g/cm<sup>3</sup>, and consumption rate of 13.4 mmol H<sub>2</sub>SO<sub>4</sub>/g. These leaching conditions led to the recovery of 96.1% Fe, 87.0% Cu, and 86.9% Zn with the addition of 2.94 mmol H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub>/g and 95.2% Fe, 84.7% Cu, and 67.5% Zn with the addition of 0.095 g MnO<sub>2</sub>/g. These results suggest that metallic iron particles contained in a CBWS sample complicate copper dissolution.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/15/3/330Waelz slagsulfuric acidleachingzinccopperiron |
| spellingShingle | Pavel Grudinsky Ekaterina Vasileva Valery Dyubanov Recycling Potential of Copper-Bearing Waelz Slag via Oxidative Sulfuric Acid Leaching Metals Waelz slag sulfuric acid leaching zinc copper iron |
| title | Recycling Potential of Copper-Bearing Waelz Slag via Oxidative Sulfuric Acid Leaching |
| title_full | Recycling Potential of Copper-Bearing Waelz Slag via Oxidative Sulfuric Acid Leaching |
| title_fullStr | Recycling Potential of Copper-Bearing Waelz Slag via Oxidative Sulfuric Acid Leaching |
| title_full_unstemmed | Recycling Potential of Copper-Bearing Waelz Slag via Oxidative Sulfuric Acid Leaching |
| title_short | Recycling Potential of Copper-Bearing Waelz Slag via Oxidative Sulfuric Acid Leaching |
| title_sort | recycling potential of copper bearing waelz slag via oxidative sulfuric acid leaching |
| topic | Waelz slag sulfuric acid leaching zinc copper iron |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/15/3/330 |
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