Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

The Influence Of Temperature And Some Other Factors On The Biological And Nonbiological Oxidation Of Chalcopyrite, Pyrite And Copper Sulfide, Ezra Revier Palmer

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was: (1) to find the effect of temperature on the wet oxidation of chalcopyrite, pyrite, and copper sulfide over the biological and nonbiological range; (2) to determine the influence of ferrous and ferric iron and free oxygen(air) on the oxidation. The sulfide minerals studied were oxidized over a range of temperatures between 25° to 75° C. The optimum biological oxidation occurred near 35° C. The nonbiological oxidation was very slow at low temperatures but increased with increasing temperature. The effect of solutions used in leaching the various sulfides over the temperature range differred. A synthetic …