Reduction of chalcopyrite by an aqueous phase reducant to enable hydrometallurgical extraction of copper

A system for producing a copper product from a copper concentrate, the system comprising:

• a source of copper concentrate;
• a reduction reactor in communication with the source of copper concentrate, the reduction reactor including:
• an acidic aqueous solution including one or more chemical reducing agents;
• and
• at least a first product outlet;
• a solid phase product outlet stream in communication with the first product outlet;
• a dissolution reactor in communication with one or more acid inlet streams and the solid phase product outlet stream, the dissolution reactor producing a dissolved copper product stream;
• and
• a copper isolation electrowinning reactor in fluid communication with the dissolved copper product stream, the copper isolation electrowinning reactor producing a copper product and a recycled acid stream in fluid communication with the dissolution reactor.

A method for indirect reduction of chalcopyrite, comprising:

• providing a composition including a concentration of chalcopyrite;
• contacting the composition with an acidic aqueous solution including one or more acids and one or more chemical reducing agents, wherein the one or more acids include sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid, or combinations thereof, and wherein the one or more chemical reducing agents include vanadium (II) ions, compounds including vanadium (II) ions, chromium (II) ions, compounds including chromium (II) ions, tungstozincic acid (H6ZnW12O40), or combinations thereof;
• reacting the chalcopyrite with the chemical reducing agents to reduce at least a portion of the copper included therein;
• separating a solids reaction product stream, a liquid reaction product stream, and a gaseous reaction product stream, wherein:
• the solids reaction product stream includes copper, copper compounds, or combinations thereof,
• the liquid reaction product stream includes oxidized chemical reducing agent, and
• the gaseous reaction product stream includes H2S;
• providing the oxidized chemical reducing agent to an electrochemical device;
• reducing the oxidized chemical reducing agent at the electrochemical device to a recycled chemical reducing agent;
• contacting the recycled chemical reducing agent with the composition;
• treating the gaseous reaction product stream with a concentration of ferric iron to generate a sulfur product and a concentration of ferrous iron;
• recycling the ferrous iron to the electrochemical device;
• contacting the solids reaction product stream with one or more acids to produce a dissolved copper product stream;
• and
• electrowinning the dissolved copper product stream to isolate a copper product and a recycled acid.