Leaching of Pre-Oxidated Pyrargyrite with Na2S2O5

• Published in: Characterization of Minerals, Metals, and Materials 2020 pp. 651 - 659
• Main Authors: Martínez, Vicente Gonzáles, Martínez, Isabel Hernández, Pérez, M. Reyes, Labra, M. Pérez, Juárez Tapia, J. C., Reyes Domínguez, Iván A., Guerrero, Mizraim Uriel Flores, Reyes, Gustavo Urbano
• Format: Book Chapter
• Language: English
• Published: Cham Springer International Publishing
• Series: The Minerals, Metals & Materials Series
• Subjects: Cyanide; Leaching; Metabisulfite; Oxidation; Pyrargyrite
• ISBN: 9783030366278; 3030366278
• ISSN: 2367-1181; 2367-1696
• DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-36628-5_64

Recently, MexicoLeachinghasPyrargyrite established itself as the largest producer of silver in the world; however, the minerals extracted have a very complex mineralogy. PyrargyritePyrargyrite presents problems of leachingLeaching with cyanideCyanide. For this reason, the effect of oxidationOxidation with metabisulfiteMetabisulfite prior to leachingLeaching with cyanideCyanide is studied. The characterizationCharacterization of the mineral confirmed the presence of a single phase of Ag3SbS3, identified in the pattern of DRXX-ray diffraction spectra (DRX) PDF 00-019-1135. The MEB–EDS analysis shows the elements of pyrargyritePyrargyrite, antimony 22.90, sulfur 17.4, and silver with 59.6%. From analysis by FTIRFourier Transform Infrared (FTIR), the presence of antimony oxides was found and the formation of sulfates. The leachingLeaching of silver with cyanideCyanide [0.03]M pre-oxidized with metabisulfiteMetabisulfite [0.105]M and 96 h, reaches a percentage of silver extraction of 25% in 68 h. The increase in the concentration of oxidizing agent at [0.210]M and the leachingLeaching time contributes to achieve recoveriesRecovery of 37%.