The kinetics of pyrite oxidation by hydrogen peroxide in phosphoric acid
solutions were investigated. The effects of stirring, temperature, and
particle size, as well as of the hydrogen peroxide and phosphoric acid
concentrations were studied. The effect of phosphate ion addition was also
examined. The oxidation kinetics was found to follow a shrinking core model,
with the surface chemical reaciton as the rate-controlling step. This is in
accord with an activation energy of 57 kJ/mol and a linear relationship
between the rate constant and the reciprocal of the particle radius. The
reaction order with respect to the hydrogen peroxide concentration was found
to be equal to unity. Variation of the phosphoric acid concentration had
practically no effect on the rate of pyrite oxidation. Addition of the
phosphate ion in the relatively low concentration range (0.005.0.1 mol/dm 3) had a highly negative influence on the rate of pyrite oxidation,
indicating that this ion has an inhibiting effect on the oxidation of pyrite
by hydrogen peroxide.