Nonlinear dissolution reaction of chalcopyrite

The dissolution experiments of chalcopyrite in 2 mol/L NaCI solutions at 70℃ show that the dissolution rate of chalcopyrite oscillates non-periodically with reaction time while in acid solutions （pH= 1.45—2.45） and far from Cu saturation concentration, and Cu concentration oscillates chaotically in solution of weak to intermediate acidity （pH = 3.66—7.0）.In nonequilibrium and open systems, the nonlinear coupling between the dissolution of chalcopyrite and formation of cuprous chloride complexes and precipitation of hemitite caused by CI- , H+ and O2 is the internal mechanism of oscillatory changes of dissolution rate, and the nonlinear coupling between the dissolution of chalcopyrite and precipitation of atacamite induced by CI- and H+ has caused the chaotic oscillation of Cu concentration. There are consistence and difference between reaction rate oscillation and Cu concentration oscillation. However, both of them suggest that the dissolution of chalcopyrite in NaCI solution is a nonlinear