Removal of Copper from Underspoil Water of Mines by Cementation

The author studied the process of copper removal from underspoil water at Blyavinskoe and Safyanovskoe copper ore deposits by cementation by iron. The influence of pH, consumption of cementation agent impurity ions Fe 3+ , Al 3+ and Ca 2+ , as well as timing on the cementation performance was analyzed. The mechanism of the process was determined, and by-reactions resulting in over-consumption of cementation agent were revealed. The studies of the material constitution of cemented copper showed that the concentrate quality worsened because of the joint settling of basic aluminum and calcium sulfates. The obtained results make it possible to draw the conclusion on applicability of cementation for removal of copper from underspoil water.