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Treatment of complex silver arsenide concentrate in nitric acid system
Author(s) -
Kunda Wasyl
Publication year - 1981
Publication title -
the canadian journal of chemical engineering
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.404
H-Index - 67
eISSN - 1939-019X
pISSN - 0008-4034
DOI - 10.1002/cjce.5450590313
Subject(s) - nitric acid , inorganic chemistry , chemistry , arsenic , zinc , nickel , copper , cobalt , ammonium hydroxide , bismuth , cobalt extraction techniques , chloride , sodium hydroxide , nuclear chemistry , ammonium chloride , hydroxide , ammonia , sodium carbonate , sodium , organic chemistry
A complex silver arsenide‐sulphide concentrate containing bismuth, cobalt, nickel, copper, zinc, lead and iron as major constituents, was leached in nitric acid. The leach solution, which contained 95% to 99% of the Ag, Bi, Co, Ni, Cu, As and Fe present in the ore, was further processed to separate the metals into the following fractions: (1) silver chloride, (2) bismuth oxychloride and/or hydroxide, (3) arsenic‐iron precipitate and (4) Ni‐Co‐Cu‐Zn sulphide. Silver was precipitated from solution with sodium chloride. Bismuth oxychloride‐hydroxide and arsenic‐iron were precipitated by controlled ammonia addition and cobalt‐nickel‐copper‐zinc sulphides were precipitated with ammonium sulphide. Silver chloride was further processed to a high purity silver powder by heat treatment with sodium carbonate. The parameters controlling each processing step are discussed.