Abstract
This study investigates the dissolution kinetics of malachite using an ammonium citrate solution as an alternative leaching agent. The effects of several experimental parameters on the dissolution of malachite were investigated. A kinetic model to represent the effects of these parameters on the dissolution rate was studied. The dissolution rate was determined to increase with increasing solution temperature, concentration, stirring speed and decreasing particle size. Dissolution was observed to be controlled by the shrinking core model for surface chemical reactions. The activation energy of the dissolution process was determined to be 42.59 kJ/mol. The results indicate that the ammonium citrate solution could be used as an effective leaching agent for copper extraction from malachite.
