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Contenuto archiviato il 2019-03-12

CONTINUATION OF PROGRAMME ON IN-SITU LEACHING MINING TECHNOLOGY

Obiettivo

TO CONTINUE AND COMPLETE ON-SITE AND LABORATORY TESTWORK ON THE AVOCA IN-SITU LEACH ORE.

DURING THE FIRST PROGRAMME, IT HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED IN COLUMN LEACH TESTS THAT ALTHOUGH THE AVOCA ORE HAS A VERY LOW NATURAL POROSITY INITIAL DISSOLUTION RATES FOR ZINC OF 50-60 % AND COPPER 5-10 % PER ANUM CAN BE ACHIEVED.
ACID CONSUMPTION IS INITIALLY HIGH (0.15 LITRES/TONNE), BUT AFTER STEADY STATE CONDITIONS ARE ESTABLISHED, NO FURTHER ACID IS REQUIRED TO MAINTAIN A PH BETWEEN 1.9 AND 2.1. MAKE UP ACID MUST ALWAYS BE USED IN LARGE SCALE IN-SITU LEACHING OPERATIONS TO ACCOUNT FOR LIQUOR LOSSES. THE MAJOR RATE CONTROLLING FACTORS FOR BACTERIAL LEACHING OF THE AVOCA CHALCO PYRITE ORE ARE

1) AVAILABILITY OF GASSEOUS O2 IN VOIDS WITHIN THE ORE PILE.

2) REMOVAL OF LESS SOLUBLE REACTION PRODUCTS AT THE SULPHIDE/LIQUOR INTERFACE

3) TEMPERATURE.

WE HAVE FOUND THAT IT IS POSSIBLE TO REDUCE THE LEACH/REST CYCLE PERIODS WITH A CONSEQUENT ENHANCEMENT OF COPPER RECIVERY.
THE RESEARCH WORK PROPOSED SEEKS TO APPLY THIS LOGIC TO LARGE SCALE OPERATION AT THE AVOCA SITE AND TO FURTHER DEVELOP LEACH SIMULATION TRIALS BY COLUMN LEACH RESTWORK. THE MAIN WORKING STEPS ARE :

1. COLUMN LEACH TESTWORK USING - TESTS TO BE CARRIED OUT USING OPTIMUN EXTRACTION CONDITIONS DETERMINED IN PREVIOUS STUDIES

2. PERCOLATION LEACH TESTWORK USING PRE-DETERMINED REST PERIOD/LEACH CYCLES.

3. A MASS BALANCE MODEL FOR IN-SITU LEACHING AT THE AVOCA SITE WILL BE DEVELOPED USING THE RESULTS FROM COLUMN LEACH TESTS AND ON-SITE OPERATIONS.

4. THE COMMERCIAL ASPECTS OF IN-SITU LEACHING WILL BE EXAMINED USING DATA GENERATED IN THIS PROJECT.

5. PERCOLATION LEACHING WILL BE CONTINUED IN ORDER TO ESTABLISH LIKELY METAL EXTRACTION RATES FOR COMMERCIAL LEACHING OPERATION.

6. LIMITED TESTWORK (2-3 WEEKS) WILL BE UNDERTAKEN TO DETERMINE THE FEASIBILITY OF LEAD/GOLD EXTRACTION USING A SODIUM CHLORIDE/ACID THIOUREA LEACH LIQUOR.

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Meccanismo di finanziamento

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Coordinatore

INSTITUTE FOR INSDUSTRIAL RESEARCH AND STANDARDS
Contributo UE
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Indirizzo
BALLLYMUN ROAD
DUBLIN 8
Irlanda

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