Abstract:The effect of temperature on leaching behavior of copper minerals with different occurrence states in complex copper oxide ores was carried out by phase analysis means of XRD, optical microscopy and SEM-EDS. The results indicated that at ambient temperature, the easily leached copper oxide minerals were completely dissolved, while the bonded copper minerals were insoluble. At lukewarm temperature of 40 °C, it was mainly the dissolution of copper in isomorphism state. With increasing temperature to 60 °C, the copper leaching rate in the adsorbed state was significantly accelerated. In addition, when the temperature increased to 80 °C, the isomorphic copper was completely leached, leaving 11.2% adsorbed copper un-leached. However, the copper in feldspar-quartz-copper-iron colloid state was not dissolved throughout the leaching process. Overall, the leaching rates of copper in different copper minerals decreased in the order: malachite, pseudo-malachite > chrysocolla > copper-bearing chlorite > copper-bearing muscovite > copper-bearing biotite > copper-bearing limonite > feldspar-quartz-copper-iron colloid.

Key words: complex copper oxide ores; occurrence state; temperature; leaching behavior; copper minerals