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WO2025156004A1 - Lixiviation en tas d'un matériau contenant un métal de base - Google Patents

Lixiviation en tas d'un matériau contenant un métal de base

Info

Publication number
WO2025156004A1
WO2025156004A1 PCT/AU2024/051358 AU2024051358W WO2025156004A1 WO 2025156004 A1 WO2025156004 A1 WO 2025156004A1 AU 2024051358 W AU2024051358 W AU 2024051358W WO 2025156004 A1 WO2025156004 A1 WO 2025156004A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
heap
copper
leach solution
containing material
leach
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Pending
Application number
PCT/AU2024/051358
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Daniel Arthur Kittelty
Mark Nott
Michael Milne
Dale SANDERSON
Esme RYAN
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Technological Resources Pty Ltd
Original Assignee
Technological Resources Pty Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Priority claimed from AU2024900165A external-priority patent/AU2024900165A0/en
Application filed by Technological Resources Pty Ltd filed Critical Technological Resources Pty Ltd
Publication of WO2025156004A1 publication Critical patent/WO2025156004A1/fr
Pending legal-status Critical Current
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical

Links

Classifications

    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C22—METALLURGY; FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS ALLOYS; TREATMENT OF ALLOYS OR NON-FERROUS METALS
    • C22B—PRODUCTION AND REFINING OF METALS; PRETREATMENT OF RAW MATERIALS
    • C22B15/00—Obtaining copper
    • C22B15/0063—Hydrometallurgy
    • C22B15/0065—Leaching or slurrying
    • C22B15/0067—Leaching or slurrying with acids or salts thereof
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C22—METALLURGY; FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS ALLOYS; TREATMENT OF ALLOYS OR NON-FERROUS METALS
    • C22B—PRODUCTION AND REFINING OF METALS; PRETREATMENT OF RAW MATERIALS
    • C22B15/00—Obtaining copper
    • C22B15/0063—Hydrometallurgy
    • C22B15/0065—Leaching or slurrying
    • C22B15/0067—Leaching or slurrying with acids or salts thereof
    • C22B15/0071—Leaching or slurrying with acids or salts thereof containing sulfur
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C22—METALLURGY; FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS ALLOYS; TREATMENT OF ALLOYS OR NON-FERROUS METALS
    • C22B—PRODUCTION AND REFINING OF METALS; PRETREATMENT OF RAW MATERIALS
    • C22B3/00—Extraction of metal compounds from ores or concentrates by wet processes
    • C22B3/02—Apparatus therefor
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C22—METALLURGY; FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS ALLOYS; TREATMENT OF ALLOYS OR NON-FERROUS METALS
    • C22B—PRODUCTION AND REFINING OF METALS; PRETREATMENT OF RAW MATERIALS
    • C22B3/00—Extraction of metal compounds from ores or concentrates by wet processes
    • C22B3/04—Extraction of metal compounds from ores or concentrates by wet processes by leaching
    • C22B3/06—Extraction of metal compounds from ores or concentrates by wet processes by leaching in inorganic acid solutions, e.g. with acids generated in situ; in inorganic salt solutions other than ammonium salt solutions
    • C22B3/08—Sulfuric acid, other sulfurated acids or salts thereof
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C22—METALLURGY; FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS ALLOYS; TREATMENT OF ALLOYS OR NON-FERROUS METALS
    • C22B—PRODUCTION AND REFINING OF METALS; PRETREATMENT OF RAW MATERIALS
    • C22B3/00—Extraction of metal compounds from ores or concentrates by wet processes
    • C22B3/18—Extraction of metal compounds from ores or concentrates by wet processes with the aid of microorganisms or enzymes, e.g. bacteria or algae
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C22—METALLURGY; FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS ALLOYS; TREATMENT OF ALLOYS OR NON-FERROUS METALS
    • C22B—PRODUCTION AND REFINING OF METALS; PRETREATMENT OF RAW MATERIALS
    • C22B7/00—Working up raw materials other than ores, e.g. scrap, to produce non-ferrous metals and compounds thereof; Methods of a general interest or applied to the winning of more than two metals
    • C22B7/006—Wet processes
    • C22B7/007—Wet processes by acid leaching
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B02—CRUSHING, PULVERISING, OR DISINTEGRATING; PREPARATORY TREATMENT OF GRAIN FOR MILLING
    • B02C—CRUSHING, PULVERISING, OR DISINTEGRATING IN GENERAL; MILLING GRAIN
    • B02C23/00—Auxiliary methods or auxiliary devices or accessories specially adapted for crushing or disintegrating not provided for in preceding groups or not specially adapted to apparatus covered by a single preceding group
    • B02C23/08—Separating or sorting of material, associated with crushing or disintegrating
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C22—METALLURGY; FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS ALLOYS; TREATMENT OF ALLOYS OR NON-FERROUS METALS
    • C22B—PRODUCTION AND REFINING OF METALS; PRETREATMENT OF RAW MATERIALS
    • C22B1/00—Preliminary treatment of ores or scrap
    • C22B1/14—Agglomerating; Briquetting; Binding; Granulating
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C22—METALLURGY; FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS ALLOYS; TREATMENT OF ALLOYS OR NON-FERROUS METALS
    • C22B—PRODUCTION AND REFINING OF METALS; PRETREATMENT OF RAW MATERIALS
    • C22B3/00—Extraction of metal compounds from ores or concentrates by wet processes
    • C22B3/20—Treatment or purification of solutions, e.g. obtained by leaching
    • C22B3/22—Treatment or purification of solutions, e.g. obtained by leaching by physical processes, e.g. by filtration, by magnetic means, or by thermal decomposition
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C22—METALLURGY; FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS ALLOYS; TREATMENT OF ALLOYS OR NON-FERROUS METALS
    • C22B—PRODUCTION AND REFINING OF METALS; PRETREATMENT OF RAW MATERIALS
    • C22B3/00—Extraction of metal compounds from ores or concentrates by wet processes
    • C22B3/20—Treatment or purification of solutions, e.g. obtained by leaching
    • C22B3/26—Treatment or purification of solutions, e.g. obtained by leaching by liquid-liquid extraction using organic compounds
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02P—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS
    • Y02P10/00—Technologies related to metal processing
    • Y02P10/20—Recycling

Definitions

  • the invention relates to heap leaching a base metal, such as copper or nickel or zinc or cobalt, from a base metal-containing material, where the term “material” comprises, for example, ores and waste materials such as tailings and mineralised waste.
  • the invention relates particularly, although not exclusively, to heap leaching a base metal-containing material in cold climates, particularly where there are large temperature variations, including climates that have temperatures ranging from very cold to very hot, where heat generation in heaps and heat loss from heaps are key considerations, and where in some situations cooling heaps can be a key consideration.
  • the invention relates particularly, although not exclusively, to heap leaching a copper-containing material.
  • the base metal-containing material may be (a) run-of-mine (“ROM”) material or (b) ROM material that has been subjected to intermediate processing, as the terms “ROM material” and “intermediate processing” are understood herein - see below.
  • ROM run-of-mine
  • the base metal-containing material may be a material that is in a stockpile of a ROM material or a ROM material that has undergone “intermediate processing”.
  • the base metal-containing material may be an ore.
  • the base metal-containing material may be a waste material, such as tailings or mineralised waste that is uneconomic to process using the current processes employed at the mine from which the mineralised waste was mined.
  • the invention also relates particularly, although not exclusively, to heap leaching agglomerates of a base metal-containing material.
  • the invention also relates to recovering a base metal, such as copper, from a base metal-containing material that has been leached.
  • the invention also relates to end-use products made from a recovered base metal, such as copper.
  • the technical field of the invention is the production of a base metal, such as copper or nickel or zinc or cobalt, from a base metal-containing material, such as a metal sulfide mineral in a run-of-mine (“ROM”) material or a ROM material that has been subjected to intermediate processing.
  • a base metal-containing material such as a metal sulfide mineral in a run-of-mine (“ROM”) material or a ROM material that has been subjected to intermediate processing.
  • the technical field of the invention also comprises recovering rare earth elements, scandium, manganese, etc. that are present in a base metal-containing material and can be recovered economically.
  • the following description focuses on copper as one example of a base metal in a base metal-containing material.
  • Copper-containing material may be a copper sulfide-containing material.
  • Copper-containing material may be a copper oxide-containing material, as described later herein.
  • Copper-containing material may be a combination of a copper sulfide-containing material and a copper oxide-containing material.
  • the problem of lower copper concentrations in copper-containing materials is compounded by the copper being in increasingly higher proportions of more refractory copper-containing minerals, such as but not limited to chalcopyrite, than was the case previously, with these minerals being more difficult and expensive to process to recover copper from the minerals.
  • Heap leaching is one option to solubilise copper in copper-containing materials, with downstream method steps recovering copper from solution, and with recovered copper being formed later into end-use products.
  • a copper sulfide-containing material is stacked in heaps, aerated through direct injection of air via aeration pipes extending into the heap and/or by natural convection through exposed areas of the heap, and irrigated with an acidic leach solution for extraction of copper into solution.
  • the leaching process requires an acid and an oxidant to dissolve copper into solution.
  • Copper is subsequently recovered from a copper-containing solution collected from the heap, i.e., a pregnant leach solution, by a range of recovery options including for example solvent extraction and electrowinning (SX/EW), cementation onto more active metals such as iron, hydrogen reduction, sulfidization via H S or NaHS addition, crystallization of sulfate salts, and direct electrowinning.
  • SX/EW solvent extraction and electrowinning
  • the resultant copper-depleted solution i.e., a raffmate in the case of SX processing, is regenerated into an acidic leach solution and recycled through the heap to leach more copper from the copper-containing material in the heap.
  • the material in the heap may comprise ROM material, ROM material that has been subjected to intermediate processing, or agglomerates of these materials. Leaching may be assisted by the addition of ferrous and sulfur oxidizing microorganisms.
  • a copper oxide-containing material is stacked in heaps and irrigated with an acidic leach solution for extraction of copper into solution.
  • the leaching process requires an acid to dissolve copper into solution.
  • the copper is subsequently recovered from a copper-containing solution collected from the heap, i.e., a pregnant leach solution, by a range of recovery options including, for example, solvent extraction and electrowinning (SX/EW), cementation onto more active metals such as iron, hydrogen reduction, and direct electrowinning. Recovered copper is formed later into enduse products.
  • the resultant copper-depleted solution is regenerated into an acidic leach solution and recycled through the heap to leach more copper from the copper-containing material in the heap.
  • the material in the heap may comprise ROM material, ROM material that has been subjected to intermediate processing, or agglomerates of these materials.
  • heap leaching provides lower metal recoveries than other metallurgical options for recovering copper from copper-containing materials, such as milling and flotation that produces copper-containing concentrates that are then smelted to produce copper metal.
  • heap leaching tends to be reserved for lower grade materials that have at least a proportion of readily recoverable copper, but where crushing/milling costs per unit of copper (or copper equivalent - i.e., when taking into account by-product credits from, for example, gold and silver) are too high to support a concentrator approach, or where mineral liberation and other characteristics (e.g., arsenic content) will not support production of directly useable or saleable concentrates.
  • the operating parameters comprise, by way of example, acidic leach solution temperature, leach solution irrigation rate, acid concentration, aeration and aeration rate (if aeration is required), pH of the leach solution, Eh of the leach solution and additives to the heap (such as microbes and sulfide-containing additives - such as pyrite - with the sulfide- containing additives obtained from any suitable source, such as cleaner scavenger tails from a concentrator circuit).
  • acidic leach solution temperature leach solution irrigation rate
  • acid concentration e.g., sodium bicarbonate
  • aeration and aeration rate if aeration is required
  • pH of the leach solution e.g., sodium bicarbonate, sodium bicarbonate, sodium bicarbonate, sodium bicarbonate, sodium bicarbonate, sodium bicarbonate, sodium bicarbonate, sodium bicarbonate, sodium bicarbonate, sodium bicarbonate, sodium bicarbonate, sodium bicarbonate, sodium bicarbonate, sodium
  • Another important consideration is selecting and controlling the operating parameters of a heap leach of a copper-containing material having regard to the requirements of downstream options for recovering copper from a pregnant leach solution from a heap.
  • Another important consideration is temperature control inside a heap and heat transfer between the interior and the exterior of a heap, particularly in cold climates, and more particularly where there are large temperature variations during the course of a day and across seasons.
  • the disclosure herein is concerned with providing a heap leaching method for a base metal-containing material, such as a copper-containing material, in cold climates, particularly where there are large temperature variations during the course of a day and across seasons.
  • copper-containing material covering copper sulfide-containing material and copper oxide-containing material (as described herein) in any form, such as copper-containing minerals, clays, carbonates, silicates, etc.
  • copper oxide containing material is understood herein to mean materials in which there is copper and oxygen in oxide form and in other forms, such as carbonates (including malachite), silicates (including chrysocolla), and copper in manganese oxide/iron oxide phases, and water soluble copper (CuSC ), etc.
  • carbonates including malachite
  • silicates including chrysocolla
  • copper in manganese oxide/iron oxide phases
  • water soluble copper (CuSC ) water soluble copper
  • the extraction of copper from copper sulfide-containing material is more complex than for copper oxide-containing material and requires an oxidant, such as ferric ions, and an acid, such as sulfuric acid, to break down a copper sulfide-containing mineral matrix and solubilise copper.
  • an oxidant such as ferric ions
  • an acid such as sulfuric acid
  • Oxidants such as ferric ions
  • acid such as sulfuric acid
  • microbes (such as acidophilic bacteria and archaea, more particularly such as members of the bacterial genera Acidithiobacillus, Leptospirillum and Sulfobacillus and members of archaeal genera Acidianus, Acidiplasma, Ferroplasma, Metallosphaera, Sulfolobaceae and Thermoplasma') regenerate ferric ions and acid and generate heat through biological oxidation of ferrous ions (such as from pyrite FeS 2 or chalcopyrite CuFeS 2 ) and sulfur compounds (including elemental sulfur), as follows:
  • the sulfur compounds may be derived from oxidation of sulfide minerals (such as pyrite) or as an addition (such as elemental sulfur) from any source, such as cleaner scavenger tails from a concentrator circuit.
  • additives may be added to enhance copper dissolution.
  • additives include sulfur-containing inorganic compounds such as thiosulfate or polythionates or polysulfides, or sulfur-containing organic compounds such as thiourea or other thiocarbamides.
  • microbes when present under aerobic conditions, oxidise ferrous ions to ferric ions, and oxidise available solid and soluble sulfur compounds and generate sulfuric acid.
  • sulfur oxidation generates acid and reactions that convert ferrous ions to ferric ions consume acid.
  • the invention relates particularly, although not exclusively, to heap leaching operations in cold climates, particularly where there are large temperature variations during the course of a day and across seasons, including very cold climates with large temperature variations ranging from very cold to very hot, where heat generation in heaps and heat loss from heaps and cooling heaps are key considerations, particularly when microbes are used in heaps.
  • the invention is a two stage heap leach method which transfers at least a part of a pregnant leach solution from a 1 st stage leach in a 1 st heap, or a leach solution produced after processing the pregnant leach solution, to a 2 nd stage leach in a 2 nd heap and controls conditions in the 1 st and 2 nd leach stages to allow the method to operate effectively, particularly but not exclusively in cold climates, such as cold climates where there are large temperature variations during the course of a day and across seasons.
  • the invention provides a method of heap leaching copper from a copper-containing material from a mine that comprises:
  • the 1 st pregnant leach solution may also be known as an intermediate leach solution (ILS).
  • ILS and PLS are copper-containing solutions that have not been subjected to a copper extract! on/removal step.
  • the raffinate is a copper- depleted solution that has been subjected to copper extract! on/removal step.
  • the PLS can be considered the final copper-containing solution that enters the SX circuit and the ILS is a copper-containing solution that is generated in the operation, which may become the PLS.
  • the ILS and PLS are the same.
  • the term “mine” is understood herein to be a broad term that covers, by way of example only, a site in which there is (a) an area (above and/or below ground) being mined, with material being removed from the area, (b) an area (above and/or below ground) that has been mined, with material already removed from the area, (c) stockpiles of mined material from areas (a) and (b), (d) downstream processing unit operations including, for example, any one or more of comminution operations for comminuting mined material (such as crushers and grinding mills), size separation operations for separating mined and comminuted mined material based on size, mineral processing operations, such as flotation circuits, heap leaching operations, pressure oxidation units, and solvent extraction and electrowinning operations, and (e) storage facilities such as for reagents, water, pregnant leach solution (PLS), concentrates of valuable metals, and tailings.
  • PLS pregnant leach solution
  • the term “acidic leach solution” is understood herein to mean any solution that contains acid.
  • the solution may be obtained from any suitable source or combination of sources.
  • One source may comprise the 2 nd pregnant leach solution from the 2 nd heap or another heap.
  • Another source may comprise water from other sources on site such as mine site run-off, tailings dam solutions and reclaim, acid mine drainage liquors, mine water, bleed streams and other water sources both associated and not associated with the mining operations.
  • Another source may be a raffinate from a solvent extraction circuit for recovering copper form a pregnant leach solution.
  • the copper-containing material may be a copper sulfide-containing material.
  • the copper-containing material may be a copper oxide-containing material, as described herein.
  • the copper-containing material may be a combination of a copper sulfide-containing material and a copper oxide-containing material.
  • the copper sulfide-containing material may comprise copper containing material that contains primary and secondary copper sulfide-containing minerals such as chalcopyrite (CuFeSz), enargite (CU3ASS4), tetrahedrite ((Cu,Fe,Zn,Ag)i2Sb4Si3), tennantite (CU12AS4S13), bornite (CusFeS ⁇ , chalcocite (CU2S), covellite (CuS), emplectite (CuBiS2), or any combination thereof.
  • CuFeSz chalcopyrite
  • CU3ASS4 enargite
  • tetrahedrite (Cu,Fe,Zn,Ag)i2Sb4Si3)
  • tennantite CU12AS4S13
  • bornite CusFeS ⁇ , chalcocite (CU2S)
  • CuS covellite
  • Emplectite CuBiS2
  • the copper oxide-containing material may comprise copper containing material that contains copper oxide-containing minerals such as malachite (Cu2CO3(OH2)), azurite (CU3(CO3)2(OH)2), cuprite (CuO), atacamite (CU2C1(OH)3), and chrysocolla (Cu2H2Si2Os(OH)4).
  • copper oxide-containing minerals such as malachite (Cu2CO3(OH2)), azurite (CU3(CO3)2(OH)2), cuprite (CuO), atacamite (CU2C1(OH)3), and chrysocolla (Cu2H2Si2Os(OH)4).
  • the copper oxide-containing material may comprise copper clays.
  • the copper oxide-containing material may comprise silicates.
  • the copper oxide-containing material may comprise sulfates.
  • the copper oxide-containing material may comprise chlorides.
  • the copper oxide-containing material may contain native copper.
  • the copper oxide-containing material may contain copper metal.
  • the copper oxide-containing material may comprise copper locked in other mineral phases, such as chlorite, goethite, manganese oxides, psilomelane and hisingerite.
  • the copper-containing material in one heap may be different to the copper-containing material in the other heap.
  • the copper-containing material in the 1 st heap may be a copper sulfide- containing material and a copper oxide-containing material.
  • the copper-containing material in the 2 nd heap may be a copper oxide-containing material and a copper sulfide-containing material.
  • the copper-containing material in the 1 st heap may be predominantly a copper sulfide-containing material.
  • the copper-containing material in the 2 nd heap may be predominantly a copper oxide- containing material.
  • segregation of the copper-containing material into the 1 st heap and the 2 nd heap may be based on gangue mineralogy, as well as copper mineralogy. Being able to process copper sulfide-containing material in one heap and copper oxide-containing material in another heap by appropriate selection of leach conditions is an advantage of the invention.
  • the invention provides an opportunity to process copper-containing material (such as copper sulfide-containing material) that typically consumes high quantities of acid in one heap and copper-containing material (such as copper oxide-containing material) that typically consumes lower quantities of acid in another heap.
  • copper-containing material such as copper sulfide-containing material
  • copper-containing material such as copper oxide-containing material
  • Copper oxide-containing material and some gangue associated with copper containing materials tend to be problematic when the material is processed in flotation circuits to produce a concentrate. Therefore, it is advantageous to operate a leach of copper containing material in a heap as an opportunity to improve overall recovery and product quality.
  • carrying out the leach in the 2 nd heap is an advantageous way of neutralizing the 1 st pregnant leach solution from the leach in the 1 st heap, i.e., by consuming acid and iron in the 1 st pregnant leach solution in the leach in the 2 nd heap for pH and sulfate control, noting that both are key considerations for maintaining microbial activity.
  • Recovery step (e) of the method may comprise processing the 1 st pregnant leach solution from the 1 st heap to remove copper in a copper removal circuit and transferring at least a part of a copper-depleted leach solution to the 2 nd heap for use as at least a part of the acidic leach solution.
  • the copper-depleted leach solution is a raffinate
  • the method may comprise transferring at least a part of the raffinate for use as at least a part of the acidic leach solution.
  • the copper-containing material in one heap or both heaps may be a copper sulfide- containing material and a copper oxide-containing material.
  • the heap may have both types of copper-containing materials.
  • one of the types of the material will be a major component of the copper-containing material in one or other of the heaps and the leaching methodology will be selected to leach this type of material.
  • the method may comprise transferring at least a part of the 1 st pregnant leach solution from the 1 st heap for use as at least a part of the acidic leach solution for the 1 st heap.
  • the method may comprise transferring at least a part of the 2 nd pregnant leach solution from the 2 nd heap for use as at least a part of the acidic leach solution for the 1 st heap.
  • the 1 st pregnant leach solution from the 1 st heap or the leach solution produced during processing the 1 st pregnant leach solution may contain ferric ions that help to solubilize copper in copper sulfide-containing material in the copper-containing material in the 2 nd heap.
  • the method may comprise sorting the copper-containing material before transferring the material to the 1 st heap or to the 2 nd heap and transferring selected sorted material to one or other of the heaps (including via stockpiles for the heaps) or to a waste stockpile.
  • the method may comprise sorting the material based on the suitability of the material to be leached in the 1 st heap or the 2 nd heap.
  • the method may comprise sorting the copper-containing material based on whether the material is a copper sulfide-containing material or a copper oxide-containing material.
  • the method may comprise any suitable sorting technology in any suitable location upstream of the heaps.
  • the method may comprise sorting the copper-containing material based on mineralogy or composition.
  • the method may comprise sorting the copper- containing material based on acid soluble copper concentration as an indication of whether the material is a copper sulfide-containing material or a copper oxide-containing material.
  • the method may comprise sorting the copper- containing material based on cyanide soluble copper concentration as an indication of whether the material is a secondary copper sulfide-containing material.
  • the method may comprise sorting the copper- containing material based on acid soluble and cyanide soluble copper concentration as an indication of whether the material is a primary copper sulfide-containing material.
  • the method may comprise sorting the copper- containing material based on elemental or mineralogical composition as an indication of whether the material is acid consuming or acid generating material.
  • the method may comprise sorting the copper- containing material based on the potential of the material to generate/consume heat in the 1 st heap or the 2 nd heap.
  • the method may comprise sorting the copper- containing material based on elemental or mineralogical composition as an indication of whether the material may negatively or positively impact extraction and recovery.
  • the method may comprise sorting the copper- containing material based on elemental or mineralogical composition as an indication of whether the material may negatively or positively impact solution and air flow / permeability within the heap.
  • the method may comprise sorting the copper-containing material that has been selected for one heap before transferring selected sorted material to the heap (including via a stockpile) or to a waste stockpile.
  • the method may comprise sorting the copper-containing material selected for one heap based on copper grade (i.e., copper concentration) of the material, and transferring material that has a copper grade above a threshold grade to the heap.
  • copper grade i.e., copper concentration
  • grade sorting of the copper-containing material selected for one heap may be useful in situations where it is known that there are large grade variations in a copper sulfide-containing material or a copper oxide-containing material.
  • the method may comprise transferring copper-containing material that has a copper grade below the threshold grade to the waste stockpile.
  • the method may comprise controlling the leach in the 1 st heap or the 2 nd heap having regard to any one or more than one of the acidic leach solution temperature, the acidic leach solution irrigation rate (including optional use of rest rinse cycles), aeration rate, acid addition rate, acid concentration, pH of the acidic leach solution, Eh of the acidic leach solution, ferric to ferrous ratio, and addition of any other additives, such as microbes and sulfide containing additives - such as pyrite - with the sulfide containing additives obtained from any suitable source, such as cleaner scavenger tails from a concentrator circuit, noting that some of these parameters are interlinked, and noting that the references to “acidic leach solution”, “leach solution” include situations where the leach solution can also be described as a “pregnant leach solution”, a “raffinate”, and an “intermediate leach solution”.
  • the method may comprise controlling a temperature, such as an average temperature, in each of the 1 st and/or the 2 nd leach heaps by controlling any one of more of the acidic leach solution temperature, the acidic leach solution irrigation rate (including optional use of rest rinse cycles), aeration rate, acid addition rate, acid concentration, pH of the 1 st and/or 2 nd pregnant leach solution, Eh of the acidic leach solution, ferric to ferrous ratio, composition of the acidic leach solution, and addition of any other additives to the heap, such as microbes and sulfide containing additives - such as pyrite - with the sulfide containing additives obtained from any suitable source, such as cleaner scavenger tails from a concentrator circuit), noting that some of these parameters are interlinked, and noting that the references to acidic leach solution , “leach solution” include situations where the acidic leach solution can also be described as a “pregnant leach solution”, a “rt)
  • average temperature is understood herein to take into account that there may be temperature variations through a heap and therefore an average temperature of, say 50°C, takes into account that there may be a different temperature in one part of a heap to the temperature in another part of the heap and the average temperature is the average of a number of temperature measurements in the heap.
  • the method may comprise controlling the leach in the 1 st heap so that the temperature of the 1 st pregnant leach solution is a target temperature at discharge from the 1 st heap.
  • the method may comprise controlling the leach in the 1 st heap so that the temperature of the 1 st pregnant leach solution is above a threshold temperature at discharge from the 1 st heap.
  • the threshold temperature may be selected having regard to the requirements for the leach in the 1 st heap.
  • the threshold temperature may be selected having regard to the requirements for the leach in the 2 nd heap.
  • the threshold temperature may be selected to provide sufficient heat to maintain a desired heap temperature in the 2 nd heap, particularly in situations where there is limited capacity to generate heat in the 2 nd heap.
  • the method may comprise generating enough heat in the 1 st heap so that the 1 st pregnant leach solution discharged from the 1 st heap has sufficient heat to maintain a required operating temperature when used as the acidic leach solution in the 2 nd heap.
  • the method may comprise providing heat from other sources so that both heaps have sufficient heat to maintain required operating temperatures in the heaps.
  • the 1 st pregnant leach solution at discharge from the 1 st heap may be at a temperature of at least 20°C, typically at least 30°C, and more typically at least 50°C.
  • the 1 st pregnant leach solution at discharge from the 1 st heap may be at a temperature in the range of 50-60°C.
  • the method may comprise controlling the leach in the 2 nd heap so that the temperature of the 2 nd pregnant leach solution is a target temperature at discharge from the 2 nd heap.
  • the method may comprise controlling the leach in the 2 nd leach so that the temperature of the 2 nd pregnant leach solution is below a threshold temperature at discharge from the 2 nd heap.
  • the threshold temperature may be a temperature selected having regard to operating requirements for recovery step (c), such as solvent extraction.
  • the threshold temperature may be 40-50°C at discharge from the 2 nd heap.
  • the method may comprise controlling the temperature in the 1 st heap by cooling the heap.
  • the method may comprise controlling the temperature in the 2 nd heap by cooling the heap.
  • the method may comprise controlling pH profiles in the acidic leach solutions in the 1 st and 2 nd heaps by monitoring and controlling the acidity in the leach solution supplied to the 1 st heap 21 and/or in the pregnant leach solutions from the heaps.
  • the method may comprise controlling precipitation reactions (e.g., jarosite) and acid generating reactions (sulfide minerals) in the heaps.
  • precipitation reactions e.g., jarosite
  • acid generating reactions sulfide minerals
  • the method may comprise controlling heat transfer, for example increasing or decreasing heat loss via aeration and acidic leach solution application rates. This makes it possible to manipulate precipitation reactions (e.g., jarosite) and acid generating reactions (sulfide minerals).
  • precipitation reactions e.g., jarosite
  • acid generating reactions sulfide minerals
  • the method may comprise controlling air ingress to the heaps to promote iron oxidation.
  • the method may comprise controlling Eh in the heaps, including operating with a wide Eh range in the heaps.
  • the method may comprise controlling precipitation chemistry in the 2 nd heap to control impurities (metal sulfates) - this reduces neutralization requirements.
  • the method may comprise adding carbonate ores to the heaps to promote bacterial growth.
  • the method may comprise using mineralogy of material in the heaps to inform hydrodynamic behavior in the heaps.
  • the method may comprise recycling leach solutions within each heap and/or between the heaps.
  • the leach solution for recycling between heaps is a copper- depleted solution that has been subjected to a copper extraction/removal step (e.g. raffmate) and the leach solution for recycling within each heap is a copper-containing solution from the same heap that has not been subjected to a copper extraction/removal step (e.g. ILS or PLS).
  • each leach solution for recycling between heaps and within each heap is a copper-containing solution that has not been subjected to a copper extraction/removal step (e.g. ILS or PLS).
  • the leach solution for recycling between heaps is a copper-containing solution that has not been subjected to a copper extraction/removal step (e.g. ILS or PLS) and leach solution for recycling within each heap is a copper-depleted solution from the same heap that has been subjected to a copper extraction/removal step (e.g. raffinate).
  • a copper extraction/removal step e.g. ILS or PLS
  • leach solution for recycling within each heap is a copper-depleted solution from the same heap that has been subjected to a copper extraction/removal step (e.g. raffinate).
  • the method may include recycling the 1 st pregnant leach solution (also known as ILS) back to the 1 st heap.
  • ILS 1 st pregnant leach solution
  • the method may include recycling the 2 nd pregnant leach solution back to the 2 nd heap.
  • Recycling leach solutions may increase metal tenors, reduce water consumption/increase water efficiency, control acidity and/or control impurities.
  • the method may comprise blending the material for the 1 st and/or the 2 nd heaps to target certain levels of sulfide containing additives (such as pyrite).
  • sulfide containing additives such as pyrite
  • the method may comprise aerating the 1 st heap by supplying air to the heap via forced aeration.
  • the method may comprise aerating the 2 nd heap by supplying air to the heap via forced aeration.
  • the method may comprise aerating the 1 st heap via natural circulation of air from outside the heap into the heap.
  • the method may comprise aerating the 2 nd heap via natural circulation of air from outside the heap into the heap.
  • the acidic leach solution may be any suitable acidic leach solution.
  • the acidic leach solution may include, as noted above in the definition of “acidic leach solution”, but is not limited to, site run-off, tailings dam solutions and reclaim, acid mine drainage liquors, mine water, bleed streams and other water sources both associated and not associated with the mining operations.
  • the acidic leach solution may be a pregnant leach solution.
  • the acidic leach solution may be a raffinate in a situation where the metal such as copper is recovered from the pregnant leach solution in heap leach step (b).
  • An example of a suitable acid is H2SO4.
  • the acid may be any other suitable mineral acid or a suitable organic acid.
  • the method may comprise controlling the acid concentration in the acidic leach solution for the 1 st and/or the 2 nd heaps to an acid dose rate of less than 100 kg HzSOr/dry t material, typically less than 50 kg H SCfi/dry t material, typically less than 30 kg H SCfi/dry t material and may be less than 10 kg kbSO-i/dry t material, or less than 5 kg TBSC /dry t material.
  • the acid dose rate is 1 - 20 kg H SO dry t material.
  • the method may comprise recovering copper from that part (if any) of the pregnant leach solution from the 1 st heap that is not transferred to the 2 nd heap.
  • the method may comprise minimizing heat loss from the 1 st pregnant leach solution from the 1 st heap as it is transferred to the 2 nd heap.
  • the method may comprise forming the heaps with a cover (such as thermofilms or snow cover) and controlling aeration of the heaps.
  • a cover such as thermofilms or snow cover
  • the method provides an opportunity to increase dissolution of iron-containing sulfide minerals that may contain copper (such as copper contained in chalcopyrite).
  • the method provides an opportunity to increase dissolution of iron-containing and non-iron containing non-sulfide minerals that may contain copper (such as copper contained in chrysocollajarosite, goethite, biotite, illite, hisingerite, kaolinite, smectite, chlorite, psilomelane and manganese oxides).
  • copper such as copper contained in chrysocollajarosite, goethite, biotite, illite, hisingerite, kaolinite, smectite, chlorite, psilomelane and manganese oxides.
  • the method may comprise adding an acid to the acidic leach solution for the 2 nd heap. Adding acid to the 2 nd heap provides an opportunity to improve the pH profile of the 1 st pregnant leach solution used as the acidic leach solution in the 2 nd heap and control the exit pH that is being fed to solvent extraction in situations where recovery step (e) comprises solvent extraction.
  • the method may comprise recovering copper from the pregnant leach solution by any suitable recovery methods.
  • One recovery method may comprise solvent extraction and electrowinning (SX/EW) copper.
  • solvent extraction and electrowinning in the context of copper is understood herein to be a two-stage hydrometallurgical process that comprises a solvent extraction first stage and an electrowinning second stage.
  • solvent extraction is understood herein to mean extracting copper ions from pregnant leach solution into a solvent containing a chemical that selectively reacts with and binds the copper in the solvent.
  • electrospinning is understood herein to mean a process that results in copper depositing on a cathode from a copper bearing solution by the passage of an electric current using an insoluble anode.
  • the product copper is typically described as a “cathode”.
  • the recovery method may comprise extracting copper from the 1 st and/or 2 nd pregnant leach solution with a solvent and producing a metal -containing solvent stream and a raffinate.
  • the recovery method may further comprise stripping copper from the solvent and forming a metal-containing solution and electrowinning copper from the metal-containing solution, typically with the copper being a copper cathode.
  • the recovery method may also comprise transferring the raffinate to the 1 st heap.
  • the recovery method may also comprise transferring the raffinate to the 2 nd heap, (i.e., bypass the 1 st heap).
  • Other recovery methods comprise, by way of example, extracting copper from the 1 st and/or 2 nd pregnant leach solution by (a) cementation onto more active metals such as iron, (b) hydrogen reduction, (c) sulfidization via EbS or NaHS addition, (d) crystallization of sulfate salts, and (e) direct electrowinning.
  • the invention also relates to end-use products made from copper recovered by the recovery methods.
  • the end-use products may be any suitable end-use products.
  • the end use product may be further processed into other end-use products.
  • the cathode is a form of an end-use product in that it is a marketable product that can be sold to downstream manufacturers of other end-use products.
  • the cathode may be processed in any suitable way to produce other enduse products, including billets, ingots, bars, and tubes, each of which may be on-sold to downstream manufacturers of other end-use products.
  • the other end-use products may comprise the following categories of products: Semi-fabricated products: including copper wire rods for the wire and cable industry;
  • - Power Generation including electrical conductors, transformers, wires, and cables;
  • Construction including plumbing, roofing, and architectural elements
  • PCBs printed circuit boards
  • Automotive Industry radiators, connectors, and wiring
  • Telecommunications including communication networks
  • Copper alloys such as brass and bronze that are widely used in various applications due to their unique properties such as high strength, corrosion resistance, and aesthetic appeal;
  • Decorative Items including coins, medals, and other decorative items.
  • the end-use products may be manufactured by any suitable methods.
  • the method may comprise comminuting a ROM material containing the copper- containing material into fragments, agglomerating the fragments into agglomerates, and constructing the 1 st heap and the 2 nd heap from the agglomerates.
  • the method may comprise adding additional material (additives) to the copper- containing material before the heap is formed, as the heap is being formed, or after the heap has been formed, or to the leach solution.
  • the additional material may be sulfide containing additives - such as pyrite, with the sulfide containing additives obtained from any suitable source, such as cleaner scavenger tails from a concentrator circuit, and noting that typically the copper sulfide-containing material in the copper-containing material contains pyrite.
  • the material from the concentrator circuit may also contain residual flotation reagents.
  • the method may comprise selecting the amount of additional pyrite for the 1 st heap and the 2 nd heap to reach a target temperature quickly, i.e., in ⁇ 500 days, more typically in ⁇ 400 days, and more typically in ⁇ 300 days.
  • the additional material may be microbes for oxidising ferrous ions and oxidising solid and soluble sulfur compounds, thereby regenerating ferric ions and acid.
  • the microbes may be any suitable microbes.
  • the microbes may be any microbes that can oxidise ferrous iron and/or sulfur compounds and comprise, but are not limited to, members of the bacterial genera Acidithiobacillus, Leptospirillum, Sulfobacillus and Ferrimicrobium, and the archaeal genera Acidianus, Acidiplasma, Ferroplasma, Metallosphaera and Thermoplasma.
  • the microbes are a diverse population, including microbes selected from mesophiles, moderate thermophiles and thermophiles psychrotolerant or mesophilic or thermophilic (moderate or extreme) bacteria or archaea.
  • the microorganisms may be acidophilic bacteria or archaea.
  • the microorganisms may be thermophilic acidophiles.
  • a diverse population allows activity across a range of operating conditions, including low pH conditions, high sulfate concentrations, and a wide temperature range of, say, 5 - 80°C.
  • the additional material may be added in any suitable way to the heap.
  • the method may comprise adding the additional material (additives) to the copper-containing material in or at any one or more of:
  • (j) in the heap for example in a leach solution or directly as a separate additive as the heap is being formed or after the heap has been formed, such as to a top of the heap during the heap leaching step.
  • the method may comprise, after the completion of this leaching of the 1st heap and the 2nd heap, reclaiming the RIPIOS for storage / disposal elsewhere or for further processing, as may be required.
  • the method may comprise monitoring heap parameters selected from any one or more than one of heap temperature, the leach solution temperature, the leach solution irrigation rate (including optional rest rinse cycles), aeration rate, pH of the leach solution, Eh of the leach solution, the population of microbes, copper extraction rate, composition of the leach solution, etc., and adjusting any one or more than one of the parameters to maintain target heap conditions, and noting that the references to “leach solution” include situations where the leach solution can also be described as a “pregnant leach solution”, a “raffinate”, and an “intermediate leach solution”.
  • the target heap conditions in any given situation will be a function of a number of factors, including material mineralogy, climate conditions, availability and cost of additives, such as additional pyrite, etc.
  • the copper-containing material may have any copper grade, i.e., concentration of copper in the material.
  • the copper-containing material may have an average copper concentration of ⁇ 1.5% by weight (wt.%), typically ⁇ 1.2 wt.%, and more typically ⁇ 1.0 wt.%, and more typically ⁇ 0.6 wt.%.
  • the copper-containing material may be (a) run-of-mine (“ROM”) material or (b) ROM material that has been subjected to intermediate processing, as the terms “ROM material” and “intermediate processing” are understood herein.
  • ROM run-of-mine
  • the material may be an ore or a waste material.
  • ore is understood herein to mean natural rock or sediment that contains one or more valuable metals that can be mined, reclaimed, treated and sold at a profit. It is noted that the term “ore” is a relative term in that a material may be regarded as an ore, i.e., profitable at one point in time and a waste material at another point in time. It is also noted that an assessment of whether a material is an “ore”, i.e., profitable, can also be dependent on the mine from which the material is mined and the capital and operating costs in the mine, including whether the mine is a brownfield or greenfield mine.
  • intermediate processing relates to any type of processing of ROM material including processing that falls under the general description of “ore dressing” including but not limited to any one or more of comminution, size separation into different size fractions, sorting by grade of a target base metal (e.g., concentration of the base metal) into different grade fractions, sorting by other chemical or mineralogical composition of the ROM material (such as a contaminant), sorting by other property of the ROM material, and agglomeration.
  • target base metal e.g., concentration of the base metal
  • sorting by other chemical or mineralogical composition of the ROM material such as a contaminant
  • the ROM material may be obtained from any mining operation in a mine.
  • the mining operation may be above ground.
  • the mining operation may be underground.
  • the mining operation may be a drilling and blasting operation in an open pit mine, with the ROM material being rocks that form when a mine bench is drilled and blasted and slumps into a pit and is then transported by haul trucks or other suitable vehicles or conveyors from the pit.
  • the ROM material being rocks that form when a mine bench is drilled and blasted and slumps into a pit and is then transported by haul trucks or other suitable vehicles or conveyors from the pit.
  • the mining operation may be an operation involving the use of a continuous miner, with the ROM material being rocks that are produced from the continuous miner.
  • the mining operation may be underground mining operation including block cave mining, sub-level cave mining, or any other suitable underground mining method, with material being removed from extraction points, such as draw points in block cave mines, as metal sulfide-containing material and being transported by haul trucks or other suitable vehicles or conveyors to above-ground.
  • underground mining operation including block cave mining, sub-level cave mining, or any other suitable underground mining method, with material being removed from extraction points, such as draw points in block cave mines, as metal sulfide-containing material and being transported by haul trucks or other suitable vehicles or conveyors to above-ground.
  • the mining operation may be a block caving operation in an underground mine, with the ROM material being rocks in rill piles at draw points of a block cave.
  • the copper-containing material may be in any suitable size for the heap.
  • the rock size may range from coarse to fine depending on other operational considerations.
  • the copper-containing material may have a rock size in a range between a P80 of 500 mm and a P80 of 9 mm, typically in a range between a P80 of 400 mm and a P80 of 30 mm, and typically in a range between a P80 of 100 mm and a P80 of 9 mm.
  • the size of the copper-containing material may be larger or smaller than the above-described size ranges.
  • the copper-containing material may be any suitable shape, noting that size ranges described in the preceding paragraph are based on one dimension only.
  • the method may comprise selecting a mining method to form the copper-containing material in a suitable form, including size distribution and/or shape, for heap leaching.
  • the mining method may comprise separating ROM material on the basis of size, for example via screens, into different size fractions of the ROM material.
  • the size-separated material is within the definition of ROM material.
  • the heaps may be separate heaps.
  • the heaps may be arranged end to end, or side to side, in a line or as required based on the available space or required geometries.
  • Each heap may be a separate lift of a “single” heap.
  • the heap may be a heap of the type described in International Application PCT/AU2011/001144 (W02012/031317 in the name of the applicant and the disclosure of the heap construction and leaching process for the heap in the International publication is incorporated herein by cross-reference.
  • the heap may comprise drippers to supply leach solution to each heap to avoid freezing, and to minimize evaporation.
  • the drippers may also be covered with material, or any other insulating material (including thermofilms or snow) to enable operation throughout the year.
  • the method may comprise providing heat from other sources to avoid freezing.
  • the invention also provides a heap leach operation for leaching copper from a copper-containing material that comprises:
  • a 1 st heap leach circuit that leaches a part of the copper-containing material in a microbially-assisted aerated leach in a 1 st heap, with an acidic leach solution, with microbes producing ferric ions, with ferric ions and acid solubilising copper in copper sulfide-containing material in the copper-containing material and producing ferrous ions, acid and heat, and with pyrite or other iron-containing minerals in the material or added to the material generating ferrous ions, acid and heat, and producing a 1 st pregnant leach solution,
  • a 2 nd heap leach circuit that leaches another part of the copper-containing material with an acidic leach solution that comprises at least a part of the 1 st pregnant leach solution from the 1 st heap or a leach solution produced during processing of the 1 st pregnant leach solution to recover copper from the 1 st pregnant leach solution
  • the leach solution may be a raffinate produced in a solvent extraction circuit that recovers copper from the pregnant leach solution
  • the leach solution may be a raffinate produced in a solvent extraction circuit that recovers copper from the pregnant leach solution
  • the invention also relates to recovering copper from the copper metal recovery circuit.
  • the invention also relates to end use products made from recovered copper.
  • the end use products may be any suitable end use products, as described above.
  • the applicant has realized that the invention is not confined to leaching copper from a copper-containing material and also extends to leaching base metals from a base metalcontaining material.
  • the invention also provides a method of heap leaching a base metal from a base metal-containing material from a mine that comprises:
  • the invention also provides a heap leach operation for leaching a base metal from a base metal-containing material that comprises:
  • a 2 nd heap leach circuit that leaches another part of the base metal-containing material with an acidic leach solution that comprises at least a part of the 1 st pregnant leach solution from the 1 st heap or a leach solution produced during processing of the 1 st pregnant leach solution to recover the base metal from the 1 st pregnant leach solution
  • the leach solution may be a raffinate produced in a solvent extraction circuit that recovers the base metal from the pregnant leach solution
  • acid and/or iron solubilising base metal in the material consuming excess acid, and reducing neutralization requirements, and producing a pregnant leach solution
  • the invention also relates to recovering a base metal from the base metal recovery circuit.
  • the invention also relates to end-use products made from a recovered base metal.
  • the end-use products may be any suitable end-use products.
  • the end-use products may be manufactured by any suitable methods.
  • the copper-containing material in the heaps 21, 23 is sourced from a mine that has copper sulfide-containing material and copper oxide-containing material (as the term is defined above).
  • the copper-containing material in the heaps 21, 23 may be sourced from run-of-mine (ROM) copper-containing material 3 from a mine, which may be an above ground mine and/or an underground mine, or a stockpile of mined material.
  • ROM run-of-mine
  • the method comprises:
  • the embodiment processes a copper-containing material beneficially and advantageously in two heaps 21, 23 in a linked heap leach operation, with leach conditions selected to focus on leaching copper sulfide-containing material in the heap 21 and copper oxide-containing material in the heap 23.
  • all of the PLS from the heap 21 is transferred to the heap 23. It is noted that in other embodiments a part of the PLS from the heap 21 is transferred to the heap 23.
  • a part of the PLS from heap 21 is returned to heap 21 via line 44.
  • a similar step may be performed on heap 23 involving the return of a part of the PLS from heap 23 via line 45 to heap 23.
  • the copper tenor in the solution(s) can be increased. This would reduce volumetric flow to the SX circuit which is expected to reduce capital costs.
  • an additional pond, tank and/or pump is provided to enable the PLS from heap 21 (also known as an intermediate leach solution) or PLS from heap 23 to be diverted for recycling back to the same heap.
  • run-of-mine (ROM) copper-containing material 3 from a mine which may be an above ground mine and/or an underground mine, or a stockpile of mined material is processed in a comminution circuit generally identified by the numeral 5, and produces fragments of copper-containing material 3.
  • ROM run-of-mine
  • the comminution circuit 5, if required, may comprise primary, secondary and tertiary stages. It is noted that the equipment used in the stages may be any suitable equipment, and the invention is not confined to the selection of particular equipment. It is also noted the invention is not confined to a three-stage comminution circuit, and the comminution circuit 5 may be any suitable number of stages.
  • the output 7 from the comminution circuit 5 is transferred to a size separation unit 9 and separated, based on fragment size, into an oversize fraction 11 and an agglomeration size fraction 13.
  • the size separation unit 9 may be any suitable unit, such as a screen.
  • the oversize fraction 11 is returned to the comminution circuit 5.
  • the agglomeration size fraction 13 is transferred to an agglomeration unit 15.
  • the agglomeration unit 15 agglomerates the agglomeration size fraction 13 and produces agglomerates for the heaps 21, 23.
  • the agglomeration unit 15 may be any suitable unit.
  • Additives may be added to the agglomeration unit 15. These additives may include acid, microbes, etc.
  • the agglomeration conditions, including addition rates for the agglomeration size fraction 13 and any additives and residence time in the agglomeration unit 15, are selected as required for the leach in the 1 st heap 21 or the 2 nd heap 23, depending on which heap is appropriate for the copper-containing material.
  • the additives will vary depending on the ROM material, i.e., whether the ROM material is a copper sulfide-containing material or a copper oxide-containing material or a mixture of these materials, and the properties of gangue in the ROM material, and the required leach conditions for the ROM material.
  • a predominantly copper sulfide-containing material typically, air, sulfuric acid, water, iron-containing sulfide minerals (such as pyrite) and microbes are added in the agglomeration unit 15.
  • additives may also be added elsewhere in the flowsheet.
  • the microbes are generated in a microbe generation unit 59.
  • the microbe generation unit 59 comprises a series of linked, stirred, tanks 69. Air, acid, and water are supplied, as required, to the tanks 69, via lines 73.
  • iron- containing sulfide minerals such as pyrite
  • the iron-containing sulfide minerals may be obtained from any suitable source.
  • microbes produced in the microbe generation unit 59 are added to the agglomeration unit 15 via a line 61.
  • the microbe generation unit 59 also produces an acidic solution that is transferred via a line 53 to the 1 st heap 21 and forms a part of the leach solution for the heap.
  • Agglomerates 17 from the agglomeration unit 15 are transferred to an appropriate heap 21, 23 to form an initial lift of the heap or a successive lift(s) of the heap.
  • the heaps 21, 23 may be any suitable construction and any suitable dimensions.
  • the heaps 21, 23 may be as described in International Application PCT/AU2011/001144 (W02012/031317) in the name of the applicant, and the disclosure in the International publication is incorporated herein by cross reference.
  • the heaps 21, 23 may have covers to control heat transfer to and from the heaps.
  • the covers may be made from therm ofilm or any other suitable material.
  • snow may be used as a cover in a cold climate.
  • the heaps 21, 23 may have aeration systems to supply air to the heaps.
  • the aeration systems may be based on natural air flow or forced air flow via line 75 to the 1 st heap 21.
  • the heaps 21, 23 comprise systems for transferring an acidic leach solution (in some instances a raffinate and in other instances a pregnant leach solution, with or without makeup acid from other sources) to and distributing on the top surfaces of the heaps 21, 23 so that leach solution can flow downwardly through the heaps and solubilise copper in copper- containing material in the heaps 21, 23.
  • an acidic leach solution in some instances a raffinate and in other instances a pregnant leach solution, with or without makeup acid from other sources
  • the systems may be any suitable systems.
  • the systems may comprise drippers (not shown) to minimise the risk of leach solution freezing.
  • the drippers and acidic leach solution supply lines may also be covered with any suitable insulating material (including thermofilms and snow) to enable operation throughout the year.
  • the heaps 21, 23 comprise systems for collecting and processing pregnant leach solutions from lower sections of the heaps.
  • the collection systems comprise a series of ponds comprising a raffmate pond 27, an intermediate leach solution (“ILS”) pond 29, a "PLS” pond 31, and an emergency pond 33.
  • ILS intermediate leach solution
  • PLS from the 1 st heap 21 is collected from a lower section of the heap 21 and transferred in line 25 to the ILS pond 29.
  • a part of the PLS is then transferred from the ILS pond 29 as required to the 2 nd heap 23 in line 35 and is distributed onto a top surface of the heap 23 and flows through the heap and leaches copper.
  • PLS from the 2 nd heap 23 is collected from a lower section of the heap and transferred in line 37 to the PLS pond 31.
  • a part of the PLS from ILS pond 29 is transferred in a line 39 to the PLS pond 31.
  • PLS is transferred in line 43 from PLS pond 31 to a solvent extraction circuit generally identified by the numeral 47. Part of the PLS from line 43 may be recycled back to the 2 nd heap 23 to increase its copper tenor (shown as broken line 46 connecting lines 43 and 35).
  • Copper is stripped from the PLS in the SX circuit 47, producing (a) a copper concentrate that is transferred in a line 49 to an electrowinning circuit 51 and (b) a raffinate that is transferred in a line 77 to the raffinate pond 27.
  • the electrowinning circuit 51 is a standard circuit producing high purity copper cathodes that are on-sold and processed to form end-use products.
  • a part of the raffinate is transferred from the raffinate pond 27 in a line 55 to the 1 st heap 21 and is distributed as a part of the above-mentioned acidic leach solution onto the upper surface of the heap 21.
  • raffinate from the raffinate pond 27 is transferred to the 2 nd heap 23 via line 35 - see the dotted line connecting lines 55 and 37, with an arrow directed towards line 37.
  • a part of the PLS in the ILS pond 29 is transferred from line 35 to line 55 and supplied to the 1 st heap 21 - see the broken line 44 connecting lines 55 and 35. This may be performed to increase its copper tenor.
  • a bleed stream of raffinate is transferred in line 65 from the raffinate pond 27 to a raffinate treatment circuit, such as a raffinate neutralisation circuit 63. It is noted that the raffinate treatment circuit is not confined to neutralization circuits.
  • the neutralisation circuit 63 comprises two linked, stirred, tanks 79 (or any other suitable number of tanks). Raffinate and limestone are supplied to a 1 st tank. Raffinate is transferred to a 2 nd tank, and lime is also supplied to this tank. The limestone and lime neutralise the raffinate. Neutralised raffinate is transferred from the 2 nd tank to a solid/liquid separator 81 to remove solids in a tailings stream 83.
  • Neutralised raffinate, minus solids, is transferred to the raffinate pond 27 in a line 67.
  • the tailings stream 83 is sent to an appropriate storage facility (not shown). Liquor may then be reclaimed from this facility and reused either in this circuit or in other processes (including the concentrator).
  • Make-up sulfuric acid and water is transferred to the raffinate pond 27 in a line 41, as required.
  • This make-up solution may be obtained from other processes, mine run-off, acid mine drainage, mine water, concentrator discharge, tailings dams or elsewhere as appropriate.
  • the leaching conditions in the heaps 21, 23 are controlled by any one or more than one of the acidic leach solution temperature, the acidic leach solution irrigation rate (including optional use of rest rinse cycles), aeration rate, acid addition rate, acid concentration, pH of the acidic leach solution, ferric to ferrous ratio, solution composition and addition of additives, such as microbes and sulfide containing additives.
  • the leaching conditions in the 1 st heap 21 are controlled so that there is net heat generation in the 1 st heap.
  • the leaching conditions in the 1 st heap 21 are controlled so that the temperature of the 1 st PLS at discharge from the heap is above a threshold temperature.
  • the threshold temperature is at least 20°C, typically at least 30°C, and more typically at least 50°C.
  • the threshold temperature is selected having regard to the requirements for the leach in the 1 st heap 21 and the requirements for the leach in the 2 nd heap.
  • the threshold temperature is selected to provide sufficient heat from the 1 st PLS to maintain a desired heap temperature in the 2 nd heap, particularly in situations where there is limited capacity to generate heat in the 2 nd heap.
  • the 2 nd heap 23 beneficially consumes heat in the 1 st PLS for the 1 st heap 21.
  • Consuming heat in the 2 nd heap from the 1 st PLS from the 1 st heap 21 provides an opportunity to effectively use heat in the method and to lower the temperature of the 2 nd PLS discharged from the 2 nd heap 23 to be in an optimum temperature range for a downstream copper recovery in the solvent extraction circuit 47. This potentially avoids a need to cool the 2 nd PLS that is discharged from the 2 nd heap 23 before it is used in downstream copper recovery.
  • the threshold temperature is 40-50°C.
  • leaching separate heaps 21, 23 focused on leaching a copper sulfide-containing material in one heap and a copper oxide-containing material in another heap also makes it possible to maximise recovery of copper from mines that have economically significant reserves of copper sulfide-containing material and copper oxide- containing material, particularly in situations where the copper oxide-containing material is difficult to process in concentrator circuits.
  • the leaching conditions in the heaps may be controlled by any one or more than one of the following options.
  • the invention is not confined to copper and extends to other base metals such as nickel or zinc or cobalt, in base metal-containing materials such as metal sulfide minerals and metal oxide-containing minerals.
  • the invention extends to recovering rare earth elements, scandium, manganese, etc. that are present in a base metal-containing material.
  • the embodiment comprises agglomerating comminuted fragments of ROM material and forming the heaps 21, 23 from the agglomerates
  • the invention is not so limited and extends to forming heaps from ROM material, typically comminuted to selected fragment sizes.
  • the invention extends to embodiments that include the use of sorting technology to sort material directly from a mine or a stockpile on the basis of, for example, whether the material is a copper sulfide-containing material or a copper oxide- containing material.
  • the invention extends to embodiments that include the use of sorting technology to sort a copper sulfide-containing material or a copper oxide- containing material on the basis of grade and transferring material above a selected threshold to one of the heaps 21, 23. Sorting based on mineralogy and chemical composition may also be undertaken.
  • the embodiment comprises transferring PLS from the ILS pond 29 (which PLS has been transferred to the ILS pond 29 from the heap 21) to the top surface of the heap 23) to the top surface of the heap 23
  • the invention also extends to embodiments in which the PLS from the heap 21 is processed before being transferred to top surface of the heap 23.
  • the PLS may be processed to remove copper from the PLS in the solvent extraction circuit 47 and at least a part of the raffinate produced in this circuit may be transferred to the top surface of the heap 23 as a leach solution.

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Abstract

La présente invention concerne la lixiviation en tas d'un matériau contenant un métal de base. Le procédé de lixiviation en tas selon l'invention est un procédé de lixiviation en tas en deux étapes pour lixivier un métal de base d'un matériau contenant un métal de base. Le procédé transfère au moins une partie d'une solution de lixiviation enrichie provenant d'un lixiviat de 1re étape dans un 1er tas, ou une solution de lixiviation produite après traitement de la solution de lixiviation enrichie, vers une lixiviation de 2de étape dans un 2d tas. Le procédé commande des conditions dans les 1re et 2de étapes de lixiviation pour permettre de faire fonctionner le procédé efficacement, en particulier mais non exclusivement dans des climats froids, tels que des climats froids où il existe de grandes variations de température dans la journée et d'une saison à l'autre.
PCT/AU2024/051358 2024-01-24 2024-12-17 Lixiviation en tas d'un matériau contenant un métal de base Pending WO2025156004A1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (4)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
AU2024900165A AU2024900165A0 (en) 2024-01-24 Heap leaching a base metal-containing material
AU2024900165 2024-01-24
AU2024901366 2024-05-10
AU2024901366A AU2024901366A0 (en) 2024-05-10 Heap leaching a base metal-containing material

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WO2025156004A1 true WO2025156004A1 (fr) 2025-07-31

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Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20050211019A1 (en) * 2002-09-17 2005-09-29 Crundwell Frank K Heap leach process
WO2009000037A1 (fr) * 2007-06-28 2008-12-31 Technological Resources Pty. Limited Lixiviation de minerais
WO2015059551A1 (fr) * 2013-10-23 2015-04-30 Bhp Chile Inc. Lixiviation en tas de cuivre
WO2022056621A1 (fr) * 2020-09-18 2022-03-24 The University Of British Columbia Extraction de métaux de base à l'aide d'une matière carbonée et d'un réactif comportant un groupe fonctionnel thiocarbonyle

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20050211019A1 (en) * 2002-09-17 2005-09-29 Crundwell Frank K Heap leach process
WO2009000037A1 (fr) * 2007-06-28 2008-12-31 Technological Resources Pty. Limited Lixiviation de minerais
WO2015059551A1 (fr) * 2013-10-23 2015-04-30 Bhp Chile Inc. Lixiviation en tas de cuivre
WO2022056621A1 (fr) * 2020-09-18 2022-03-24 The University Of British Columbia Extraction de métaux de base à l'aide d'une matière carbonée et d'un réactif comportant un groupe fonctionnel thiocarbonyle

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