2026-10-14T11:39:39Z https://api.figshare.com/v2/oai

oai:figshare.com:article/34004127 2026-09-28T15:20:11Z category_26827 item_type_3 month_year_09_2026

<b>RSM-Optimized Microwave Leaching for Enhanced Copper and Cobalt Recovery from Chalcopyrite and Heterogenite.</b> Ntakamutshi Patrick Tshibanda (25115238) Hydrometallurgy Microwave-assisted leaching chalcopyrite leaching Heterogenite Cobalt (III) oxyde Taguchi methodology ANOVA datasets Process optimization Hydrometallurgy <p dir="ltr">This study investigates the simultaneous microwave-assisted acid leaching of copper and cobalt from a binary chalcopyrite (CuFeS₂)-heterogenite (Co₂O₃) system. Statistical optimization using Taguchi methodology and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was employed to evaluate the influence of key operational parameters: microwave power (140–560 W), irradiation time (4–10 min), sulfuric acid concentration (50–95 g/L), and the chalcopyrite/heterogenite stoichiometric ratio (1:0 to 1:3). A robust L16 (4⁴) orthogonal array guided the experimental design. The results identified the chalcopyrite/heterogenite ratio as the most significant parameter, contributing 78.06% and 86.61% to the variance in copper and cobalt dissolution, respectively. Optimal conditions for copper extraction were 560 W, 10 min, 50 g/L H₂SO₄, and a 1:2 ratio, yielding 54.64% Cu. For cobalt, optimal conditions were 420 W, 10 min, 95 g/L H₂SO₄, and a 1:1 ratio, yielding 56.74% Co. By extending the irradiation time to 25 minutes at 420 W, leaching efficiencies increased significantly to 67.76% for copper and 81.04% for cobalt. The study proposes a synergistic leaching mechanism governed by an Fe³⁺/Fe²⁺ redox cycle, enhanced by microwave irradiation. This work demonstrates the potential of microwave-assisted leaching as an efficient and selective method for recovering valuable metals from complex sulfide-oxide ores.</p> 2026-09-28T15:20:11Z Dataset Dataset 10.6084/m9.figshare.34004127.v1 https://figshare.com/articles/dataset/_b_RSM-Optimized_Microwave_Leaching_for_Enhanced_Copper_and_Cobalt_Recovery_from_Chalcopyrite_and_Heterogenite_b_/34004127 CC BY 4.0