Wollastonite and calcite minerals are significant raw materials and are extensively used due to their unique properties. Wollastonite is used in plastics, paint, ceramics, paper, resins, and in construction as a substitution for asbestos due to its chemical stability, thermal resistivity, needle-like shape, and brightness. Calcite is one of the most used raw materials because of its low hardness, high alkalinity, sorptive properties, white and bright color. Wollastonite and calcite are two minerals found together in nature. The most common method used for separating these two minerals is flotation. In this study, the surface properties of pure mineral samples were investigated. The pH profiles of both minerals were obtained by measuring the surface charge of particles followed by the measurement of the zeta potential in different collector concentrations. The wettability of minerals was examined by measuring their contact angles.
About 2.5 million tonnes of copper smelter slag are available in Küre, northern part of Turkey. This slag contains large amounts of metallic values such as copper and cobalt. A representative slag sample containing 0.98% Cu, 0.49% Co and 51.47% Fe was used in the experimental studies. Two different methods, direct acid leaching and acid baking followed by hot water leaching were used for recovering Cu and Co from the slag. The effects of leaching time, temperature and acid concentration on Cu- and Co-dissolving efficiencies were investigated in the direct acid leaching tests. The optimum leaching conditions were found to be a leaching time of 2 h, acid concentration of 120 g L(-1), and temperature of 60 degrees C. Under these conditions, 78% Cu and 90% Co were extracted. In the acid baking + hot water leaching tests, 74% Co was dissolved after 1 h of roasting at 200 degrees C using a 3:1 acid:slag ratio, whereas the Cu-dissolving efficiency was 79% and the total slag weight loss was approximately 50%.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.