Interaction Of Silver Ions With Sulfide Minerals with Special Emphasis on the Chalcopyriteipyrite Galvanic Couple

In this work, short and long-term tests were performed using different massive mineral sulfide specimens (chalcopyrite, pyrite, sphalerite, galena, covellite and chalcocite) of museum grade and quartz of analytical grade in an acid medium containing silver ions. After attack, the samples were observed by SEM and products characterized by EDS. Parallel, massive specimens of pyrite (FeS2) and chalcopyrite (CuFeS2) were embedded in an epoxy resin, either electrically isolated or in electrical contact, and treated with silver ions in the presence of bacteria. Finally, massive chalcopyrite and pyrite electrodes were subjected to electrochemical measurements in an acid medium under different experimental conditions (addition of silver ions and inoculation). The results showed that silver deposition takes place preferentially on specific mineral surfaces: chalcopyrite, galena, covellite and chalcocite. The chemical reaction of silver ions with pyrite and sphalerite was negligible at low silver concentration (8 ppm). But sphalerite reacted with silver ions at higher silver concentration (100 ppm). In a mixture of chalcopyrite and pyrite, silver was deposited on the former surface creating new cathodic sites which sped up the electrochemical reactions of chalcopyrite dissolution.