Author(s)

Onyedika Gerald, Ugwu Priscilla, Ogwuegbu Martin, Ejike Emmanuel, Nwoye Chukwuka, Jiann-Yang Hwang

Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Nigeria.
Materials Science and Engineering, Michigan Technological University, 1400 Townsend Dr., Houghton, Michigan, U.S.A..
Mineral Processing Unit, Department of Chemistry, Federal University of Technology, P.M.B. 1526, Owerri, Nigeria.

Model for prediction of the concentration of tin extracted during potassium hydroxide leaching of cassiterite has been derived. The model: A = Nt^1.53, indicates that the concentration tin extracted is dependent on the residence time. It was found that the validity of the model is rooted in the expression Log A = Log (Nt^1.53). Tin extraction per unit time as obtained from experiment and derived model are 2.6666 and 2.6268 mg/min respectively. The maximum deviation of the model-predicted concentration of dissolved tin from the corresponding concentration obtained from the experiment was found to be less than 8%, which is quite within the acceptable deviation limit of experimental results and hence, impacting about 92% confidence coefficient on the model.

Model; Tin; Potassium Hydroxide; Cassiterite; Leaching

O. Gerald, U. Priscilla, O. Martin, E. Emmanuel, N. Chukwuka and J. Hwang, "Model for Prediction of the Concentration of Extracted Tin during Leaching of Cassiterite in Potassium Hydroxide Solution," Journal of Minerals and Materials Characterization and Engineering, Vol. 11 No. 7, 2012, pp. 730-734. doi: 10.4236/jmmce.2012.117060.