'A

M EX ICAN A DE C OBR E L e a c hi n g of C u C o nc e nt r a t e w it h H 2 S a t & 0 2

stabilize at 92 -93%. so that there will be no requirement for an evaporator to remove

excess water from the leach circuit.

A key feature of the concentrated H:SO: leach is the near -quantitative re-precipitation of
the leached copper and iron as anhydrous sulfates during the leach. These anhydrous
sulfates form very fine crystals which make filtration of the leach slurry very slow and
washing of the cake with water impractical, since the crystals are readily water -soluble.
There is no indication from the tests carried out to -date that any of the leach parameters
studied have any significant effect on the degree of metal precipitation or on the physical
characteristics of the anhydrous sulfate crystals. It is suggested that a few leach tests at
lower sulfuric acid concentrations would be of interest, to determine the lowest acid lever at
which the anhydrous sulfates can be precipi tated and any effect that lower acid levels might
have on the crystal characteristics.

8.3 Liquid-Solid Separation of Prim ary Leach Slurry

As noted above. the liquid -solid separation of the leach slurry presents significant
challenges. largely due to the very fine crystal size of the re -precipitated metal sulfates.
but also to the highly corrosive nature of the leach solution. To -date. all test work and
process m odeling has been based on the use of vacuum filtration_ Unfortunately
vacuum filtration produces a filter cake containing about 50% entrained liquor, which at
> 90 % H2S O .i, m eans t hat t he cak e is - 45 % an d th at ab ou t 1 8 % of th e p rim ar y
leachant is bled from the leach circuit. every cycle

It is strongly recommended that test work should be tamed out to evaluate alternative
liquid-solid separation methods, e.g. pressure filtration, centrifuge. etc. to reduce the
amount of entrained liquor in the filter cake. Centrifugation has historically b een used to
separate fine crystalline nickel sulfate rnonohydrate from 70% H,S0. solution, as the
final step in cop, refinery electrolyte purification circuits. Alloys such as Carpenter 20
CB3 were used satisfactorily in this application in the 1960s.

An altemative approach w hich should also be investigated is the displacement washing of

the acid solution from the filter cake using a non -aqueous liquid. such as an alcohol, w hich
does not dissolve the metal sulfates. followed by separation of the alcohol from the
suffuric acid solution.

8.4 Dilution or Wash of Primary Leach Filter Cake

The second key process step in the flow sheet is the Dilution or W ash circuit. where the
primary filter cake is re -pulped in water to dissolve the crystalline copper and iron
sulfates, leaving the insoluble residue of unleached sulfides. elem ental sulfur and
gangue, which is recovered by filtration for further processing Due to the high entrained
leach liquor content of the filter cake, the wash liquor product typically contains 200-250
giL I-1,SO: with 30 g/L Cu and 20 WI_ Fe. This sop is thus very effective in recovering
the leached copper and iron to the product solution, but largely ineffective in separating
the metals from the contaminating acid. Since it is intended that the copper will be
recovered by SX-EW. it is highly desirable to significantly reduce the acid to copper ratio in
this solution. preferably with recovery of most of the acid for re-use.

It is recommended that test work should be tamed out to invest igate the feasibility of
achieving a partial separation of the metals from sulfuric acid by varying the water to

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