An initial electrochemical study into the (Bio)Leaching of chalcopyrite

Includes abstract.Includes bibliographical references.Hydrometallurgical methods are increasingly considered as alternatives to conventional pyrometallurgical techniques for extraction of metals from mineral ores. Chalcopyrite is a key copper mineral due to its abundance on earth. However, due to its refractory nature in sulfate leaching systems, a viable hydrometallurgical route for its extraction remains elusive...The work in this present thesis is presented as an initial study to commission the potentiostat instrument, investigate the common trends that are observed in running potential controlled (voltammetric) studies of chalcopyrite and compare them to those reported in literature, and investigate the electrochemical behaviour under different reaction conditions