Effect of Pretreatment on a Copper Concentrate with High Arsenic Content

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Dear Author,

Thank you for submitting your paper to MDPI Minerals Journal and contributing your work and knowledge in the advancement of the mining and metallurgy field. The paper is well written in terms of sentence flow and grammar, literature review covers enough background, the experiments are statistically designed, and results are well presented. Few minor suggestions related to paper are,

·         At various location ‘y’ was seen instead of comma for example at line 12 it says sulfuric acid concentration (0, 70, 140 y 210 kg/t). Not sure if it is a typo or intentional. Similar observation on lines 13, 45 etc.

·         Figure and table captions can be more descriptive for Table 3, Figure 1, Figure 3 and Figure 4. For example;

o    Table 3: Chemical analysis of feed sample using Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy

·         Figure 5, axis titles can be more descriptive. X-axis can reflect units in micron and minimum scale can be 0.01 microns. Y-axis should be Cum Weight Percent Passing.

·         The conclusion can be improved slightly and some findings can be explained why this could be happening.

·         Reference 19; doi number needs to be checked.

·         Finally, the title of the paper can be improved. It doesn’t tell in anyway if this paper is related to leaching, may be – Effect of pretreatment on leaching of copper concentrate with high arsenic content.

Best

Author Response

Dear Reviewer,

We really appreciate the reviews. Your observations have been considered. Below you will see a response for each observation.

At various location ‘y’ was seen instead of comma for example at line 12 it says sulfuric acid concentration (0, 70, 140 y 210 kg/t). Not sure if it is a typo or intentional. Similar observation on lines 13, 45 etc.

1. Done. This was a typo.

Figure and table captions can be more descriptive for Table 3, Figure 1, Figure 3 and Figure 4. For example: Table 3: Chemical analysis of feed sample using Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy

1. Done.

Figure 5, axis titles can be more descriptive. X-axis can reflect units in micron and minimum scale can be 0.01 microns. Y-axis should be Cum Weight Percent Passing.

1. Done. A new Figure 5 was added.

The conclusion can be improved slightly and some findings can be explained why this could be happening.

1. Done.

Reference 19; doi number needs to be checked.

1. Was corrected.

Finally, the title of the paper can be improved. It doesn’t tell in anyway if this paper is related to leaching, may be – Effect of pretreatment on leaching of copper concentrate with high arsenic content.

1. We really appreciate this observation. However, the effect that we seek to highlight is the generation of sulfates or soluble phases due to pretreatment. This study is the first part. The second part has a direct relationship with leaching tests in reactors.

Reviewer 2 Report

Effect of pretreatment on a copper concentrate with high arsenic content named manuscript is a very good lab-scale experimental and statistical study. Experimental tests, discussion, and results are well explained. However, I had a difficulty to grasp Figures 6, 7, 8, and 9. These graphs are black and white, I think it will be better if they are colored. Differentiation of response surfaces is very difficult to see and grasp.

I recognized some small corrections:

Page 1 line 12-13  50 y 100, 10 y 15, 50 y 75   (what is y?)

            line 287  CuSO4 y CuCl(OH)

In Fig. 5 there is no unit      for the Size log axis

Author Response

Dear Reviewer,

We really appreciate the reviews. Your observations have been considered. Below you will see a response for each observation.

Effect of pretreatment on a copper concentrate with high arsenic content named manuscript is a very good lab-scale experimental and statistical study. Experimental tests, discussion, and results are well explained. However, I had a difficulty to grasp Figures 6, 7, 8, and 9. These graphs are black and white, I think it will be better if they are colored. Differentiation of response surfaces is very difficult to see and grasp.

We really appreciate your observation. However, color graphics condition reading if the document is printed in black and white.

Page 1 line 12-13  50 y 100, 10 y 15, 50 y 75   (what is y?)

Done. Its was a typo.

Line 287  CuSO4 y CuCl(OH)

Done. Its was a typo.

In Fig. 5 there is no unit      for the Size log axis

Done. A new figure was added.

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Reviewer 3 Report

Dear Authors,

Your manuscript detailing the effects of pre-treatment on a copper concentrate with high arsenic content presents a compelling study with comprehensive pretreatment experiments. The clarity of the evidence provided is commendable, and it significantly adds to the understanding of the subject matter. However, several issues have been identified that require attention for the manuscript to reach its full potential. Firstly, there is a need to provide further elucidation on certain experimental procedures to ensure reproducibility and clarity for readers. Additionally, a more thorough discussion of the implications of your findings within the broader context of the field would enhance the manuscript's impact. Furthermore, addressing minor inconsistencies in data presentation and refining the language for clarity and precision will strengthen the overall presentation of your work. By addressing these concerns, your manuscript will undoubtedly contribute significantly to the scientific community's understanding of this important topic.

Comments for author File: Comments.pdf

Author Response

Dear reviewer,

We truly appreciate your time and observations. The attached Word document contains a response to each review.

Best regards

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf