This paper presents the results of acidic leaching of kaolinite from the flotation waste of the RTB Bor copper mine, Serbia. The kaolinitic concentrate from the flotation waste contains 32% Al2O3. Kinetic investigations were conducted on the leaching of kaolinite roasted at 750°C for 60 min under air using H2SO4, HNO3 and HCl. Activation energies for the process were 74, 63 and 63.2 kJ mol–1 for sulphuric, nitric and hydrochloric acids, respectively. The kinetic function D3: [1 – (1 – α)1/3]2 = kt was chosen to describe the fractional conversion dependence on time and temperature. This enabled effective management of the leaching process to be carried out.
