Author(s):
1. Neyha Shoukat:
PMAS Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi, Pakistan.
2. Anmol Fatima:
PMAS Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi, Pakistan.
Abstract:
The increasing demand for copper necessitates the utilization of not only highgradebut also lowgrade ores to ensure a sustainable metal supply. In this study,a locally available low-grade copper ore was processed using ahydrometallurgical approach with significant modifications compared topreviously reported methods. The ore was ground to fine powder andcharacterized by X-ray fluorescence (XRF), which confirmed copper content asCuO (7.95%). Leaching experiments were carried out using sulfuric acid, nitricacid, and hydrogen peroxide as leachants, followed by microwave and UVirradiation to enhance dissolution. Unlike earlier studies, the solvent type andsolvent-toaqueous ratio were modified to optimize copper extraction. The leachsolution was filtered and subjected to solvent extraction in a separating funnel,where alternative organic solvents were tested in place of the conventional ones.The copper content in the organic phase was quantified by Atomic AbsorptionSpectroscopy (AAS). The results demonstrated that the modified methodachieved improved copper recovery (approx. ~90% efficiency) compared to thereported procedure, highlighting the effectiveness of solvent and ratiooptimization. These findings confirm that hydrometallurgical methods, whenadapted through process modifications, can be effectively applied to low-gradecopper ores, offering an environmentally viable and economically promisingalternative to conventional pyro metallurgical processes.
Page(s):
80-80
DOI:
DOI not available
Published:
Journal: 4th International Conference of Sciences “Revamped Scientific Outlook of 21st Century, 2025” , November 12,2025, Volume: 1, Issue: 1, Year: 2025
Keywords:
Solvent extraction
,
Lowgrade ore
,
Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy
,
hydrometallurgy
,
Xray fluorescence XRF
,
Copper extraction
,
Acid leaching
References:
References are not available for this document.
Citations
Citations are not available for this document.