optimizing leaching parameters for copper extraction from chalcopyrite using [bmim][hso4] ionic liquid

Today, there has been a significant emphasis on developing sustainable and environmentally friendly processes in various industries, including hydrometallurgy. this study focuses on the process of leaching chalcopyrite concentrate using an ionic liquid called 1-butyl-3-methyl-imidazolium hydrogen sulfate ([bmim][hso4]). to study the impact of various parameters on the chalcopyrite leaching, such as temperature, [bmim][hso4] and h2o2 concentration, speed of stirring, solid-to-liquid ratio, and their interactions, design expert software was used. employing the ccd layout of rsm matrix, 32 experiments were designed and executed. the results showed that the temperature, oxidizing agent concentration, and ionic liquid concentration, as well as the interaction between the oxidizing agent concentration with the ionic liquid concentration and temperature, have the most significant effect on the dissolution of chalcopyrite. also, the highest amount of copper extraction (90.32%) was obtained at 40°c using 40% [bmim][hso4], 30% h2o2, ratio of solid-to-liquid 10 g/l, and speed of stirring 300 rpm. the examination of kinetic studies employing the scm showed that the process of extracting copper from chalcopyrite utilizing bmimhso4 ionic liquid follows from the chemical reaction, and in this condition, the activation energy is 49.61 kj/mol. finally, evaluation of surface morphology and characteristics of leaching residue using xrd and sem/edx analyses revealed that most of the cufes2 has been dissolved and elemental sulfur is the major solid product that exists in the chalcopyrite leaching residue.