Study of chalcopyrite leaching from a copper concentrate with hydrogen peroxide in aqueous ethylene glycol media

Chalcopyrite dissolution kinetics in the presence of ethylene glycol, are well described by the reaction-controlled shrinking particle model. The kinetic expression is a first order function of the hydrogen peroxide concentration and is not dependent on the H+ concentration, although peroxide decomposition slightly increased at higher pH values. The reaction controlling the dissolution process was determined to be the conversion of the chalcopyritic sulfide to elemental sulfur; this was followed by its oxidation to sulfate, although apparently did not affect the leaching kinetics.