An Overview of the Behavior of Concentrates with Arsenic, Antimony, and Bismuth under Roasting Conditions

It is well-known that the mining industry in Chile and the world is searching for eco-friendly, highly efficient mineral treatments. This is because the content of toxic elements such as arsenic, antimony, and bismuth have increased in the copper concentrates in the last years. This trend has affected the market of this metal, as well as increased the potential of producing solid wastes that represent a threat to the environment. In this paper, a review on the fundamentals of the current treatments aimed at removing arsenic, antimony, and bismuth from copper concentrates under roasting conditions is presented. The literature survey included the research conducted from 2000 until now and is focused on the different types of roasting of copper concentrates reported in the literature. A summary of the experimental conditions and major findings of each work is discussed. Depending on the type of roasting, the behavior of arsenic, antimony, and bismuth species during the experiments is analyzed.