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Model Development and Parameter Estimation for the Oxidation of Pyrrhotite‐Containing Rock Surfaces
Author(s) -
Biglari Mazda,
Nicholson Ronald V.,
Reilly Park M.,
Scharer Jeno M.
Publication year - 2006
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.5450840115
Subject(s) - pyrrhotite , mineralogy , mineral redox buffer , chemistry , oxygen , analytical chemistry (journal) , metallurgy , nuclear chemistry , materials science , pyrite , environmental chemistry , organic chemistry
A novel experimental method was developed for the evaluation of the biotic oxidation rate of waste rock containing sulphide minerals. Sized waste rock samples were inoculated with an Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans suspension and sparged with discontinuing humidified air to yield the oxygen consumption rate. A kinetic/mass transport model was proposed based on oxidation of pyrrhotite. Bayesian statistical analysis using the Metropolis‐Hastings algorithm showed that at ambient oxygen concentration the mean (i.e., estimated) values of the initial oxygen flux, the reaction order, the oxygen diffusion coefficient through the oxidation product layer, and the surface reaction rate constant were 1.3×10 −7 mol/m 2 .s, 0.55, 2.91×10 −13 m 2 /s and 3.23×10 −7 mol 0.45 /m 0.35 .s, respectively.