Dissolution kinetics of metallic copper with CuSO4-NaCl-HCl

The leaching data showed the reaction to be under chemical kinetics control, with an activation energy of 28 kJ/mol (7 kcal/mol). Leaching occurred at an apparent order of −1 with respect to the total chloride concentration and an apparent first order with respect to the total copper concentration. The Cu(II) ion was the main active species based on calculation of copper species distribution and the solution kinetics may be interpreted as rate=k[Cu2+]. For ratios of CCl/CCu2+ of less than about 8, a layer of CuCl(s) formed which impeded the solubilization process.