Physico-Chemical Characteristics of Deselenized Copper Anode Slime

During copper extraction from copper concentrate, the slime generated in a copper electrorefining tank contains many valuable elements like Cu, Ni, Se, Te, Au, Ag, Pt, Pd, Bi, Sb, along with As, Pb, Fe, Ba, etc. The conventional process for the treatment of the slime includes initial copper extraction by sulphuric acid leachingLeaching and extraction of tellurium by the cementation process. After copper and most of the tellurium extraction, the residue is treated for selenium recovery. The slime after selenium extraction is called deselenized slimeDeselenized slime, mainly containing Au, Ag, Pt, Pd, Pb, As, Te, Bi, Sb, and Ba. The complex nature of the deselenized slimeDeselenized slime makes further processing of the slime more complicated. This paper illustrates the detailed characterizationCharacterization, including physical, chemicalChemical, and mineralogical studies of the deselenized anode slimeAnode slime that can provide valuable information, including the morphologyMorphology, which can help in process development for further metals recovery from the slime.