Producing high-purity copper from chalcopyrite concentrate using an environmentally friendly approach with minimal water consumption has been a goal for copper production industries for decades. This study explores the extraction of copper from chalcopyrite concentrate (CHP) using third-type deep eutectic solvents (DESs). The main objective of this study was to achieve higher copper recovery in the shortest possible dissolution time to create a PLS chemically compatible with downstream processes (SX-EW). Initially, the impact of DES type on dissolution efficiency was evaluated. The results showed that the DES composed of choline chloride (ChCl): ethylene glycol (EtGlyc): oxalic acid dihydrate (OxA) in a molar ratio of 1:2:1 could achieve a dissolution efficiency of 54 %. Subsequently, the study examined the effect of operational parameters such as dissolution time, temperature, and pulp density on the leaching process. Optimal results were achieved with a dissolution time of 48 h, temperature of 75°C, and a pulp density of 0.025 g/mL, resulting in a copper dissolution recovery of 70 %. The addition of 20 vol% water to the DES improved copper dissolution efficiency, reaching up to 86 %. Kinetics studies indicated that the leaching process followed the shrinking core model and was chemically controlled, with an activation energy of 50.12 kJ/mol. These findings underscore the potential of deep eutectic solvents as a sustainable and efficient alternative for industrial copper extraction from CHP concentrate.

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