In this research, purification of molybdenite concentrate (MoS2) using a nitric acid leaching process was employed for improvement of molybdenum trioxide morphology during oxidative roasting in an air atmosphere. These experiments were performed using trials designed with response surface methodology and three affective parameters being temperature, time, and acidmolarity. It was found that the leaching process reduced the chalcopyrite content in the concentrate by more than 95%. The influence of chalcopyrite elimination and roasting temperature on the morphology and fiber growth of the MoO3 was also investigated by SEM images. Copper plays an important role in controlling the morphology of MoO3 and its decrease led to enhancing the length of quasi-rectangular microfibers from less than 30 μm for impure MoO3 up to several centimeters for purified MoO3.

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