Abstract:An optimized selective sequential extraction (SSE) procedure was developed to assess the arsenic (As) partitioning in copper slag. The potential As species in copper slag are partitioned into the readily soluble As, dissolvable arsenates, sparingly soluble arsenates, As residing in sulfides, arsenopyrite and metal As, as well as As incorporated into glassy silicates. The inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES), scanning electronic microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), X-ray diffractometry (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) were used to characterize the leachates and residues produced from the operation scheme. The selectivity and recovery of extractants were evaluated through single-phase extraction procedures. Partitioning data of As in slag samples show good agreement with the reported works and the total As recovery of each operation is over 90%. This suggests that the optimized SEE scheme can be reliably employed for As partitioning in As-bearing byproducts from copper smelting.

Key words: arsenic; copper slag; sequential extraction; waste management; copper smelting