Kinetics of reduction of solid copper sulphate by hydrogen and carbon monoxide

Abstract

Abstract Cupric sulphate is reduced to metallic copper by H 2 at 225° to 400° with formation of Cu 2 SO 4 as an intermediate product. Under the present experimental conditions, the reduction followered the equation k = 1 — (1 — R) 1/3 , where R is the fraction reacted at time t and k is the velocity constant. The activation energy of the overall process in this temperature range lies between 15 and 17 Kcal/mole. Reduction by CO takes place at 400° to 650°C with formation of Cu 2 SO 4 and Cu 2 O and the activation energy in this temperature range lies between 24 and 29 Kcal/mole. Reduction in both cases is exothermic.