Oxygen pressure leaching of copper from primary chalcopyrite ore containing pyrite under simulated solution-mining conditions

The leaching of primary porphyry chalcopyrite ore under simulated solution-mining conditions was studied using a packed-bed reactor. A mathematical model incorporating the intrinsic leaching kinetics of chalcopyrite and pyrite grains, the pore diffusion of dissolved oxygen within the ore fragments, liquid-solid mass transfer, and the effect of fluid flow and axial dispersion was formulated and tested for the overall leaching process. The dependence of oxygen solubility on ionic strength of the solution was also incorporated into the model. Satisfactory agreement between model predictions and experimental data was obtained. The model can also predict the rate of the leaching process under different temperatures, oxygen pressures, solution flow rates, and different size distributions of ores.