Dissolution kinetics of galena in acid NaCl solutions at 25—75 °C

Experiments on dissolution kinetics of galena were performed in 1 mol l−1 NaCl solutions at pH 0.43–2.45 and 25–75 °C. When the dissolution reaction is far from equilibrium, a linear relation exits between the dissolution rate, r, and the H+ ion activity, [H+]. The rate law for galena dissolution is given by the following equation: r=k[H+]. With respect to H+, the dissolution reaction is in the first order. The apparent rate constant, k, has values of 2.34×10−7 mol m−2 s−1 at 25 °C, 1.38×10−6 mol m−2 s−1 at 50 °C, and 7.08×10−6 mol m−2 s−1 at 75 °C. The activation energy of dissolution reaction is 43.54 kJ mol−1. The mechanism of dissolution is suggested to be surface chemical reaction, and the rate determining step is the dissociation of the Pb–S bond of the surface complex, which releases Pb2+ into the solution.