Hydrometallurgy?

Hydrometallurgy ! production of metals or metallic compounds

from primary and secondary raw materials
! involves chemical reactions carried out in
aqueous solutions at ambient temperature
and pressure

Methods of HydroMet Methods of HydroMet

! To recover metals from ! To recover metals from

low grade ores which
are not amenable to
concentration or
suitable for smelting
" Oxides, carbonates,
sulfates
high grade concentrates
that are roasted, then
processed in aqueous
solutions, providing an
alternative path to
pyrometallurgical
extraction

Methods of HydroMet General Steps

! As a preliminary 1. comminution of the starting material (optional)

operation to mineral 2. roasting to convert the material into a suitable form
processing, i.e. (optional)
flotation by dissolving 3. leaching to dissolve the valuable metal in a leach
the soluble liquor
constituents that are 4. separation of the leach liquor from the unwanted
mineral
coating the valuable
minerals 5. recovering the valuable metal from the leach liquor
6. treatment of the liquor to be recycled in the
operation
Leaching Leaching Reagents (Lixiviants)

! involves the selective dissolution of the ! Must satisfy the requirements:

valuable metal in a suitable reagent or the " readily available in quantity
leachant " relatively cheap
" does not react unduly with gangue minerals

" non-corrosive

" Amenability of regeneration/ recycling

Common Lixiviants for Minerals Leaching Methods

Mineral Common Lixiviants ! Depends on:

Oxides Dilute H2SO4 " ore composition
" required leaching rate
Sulfates Dilute H2SO4 or H2O
" subsequent recovery and extraction methods

Sulfides FeSO4 solution

Alumina NaOH solution
Cu/Ni compounds (NH4)2CO3

In-Situ Leaching / Solution Mining In-Situ Leaching / Solution Mining

in-place in-place
Dump Leaching Dump Leaching

Heap Leaching Heap Leaching

Percolation / Vat Leaching Percolation / Vat Leaching

! involves the use of tanks with false bottom,

covered with filtering medium
! applied to porous and sandy material, about
5mm diameter; slimes are undesirable
! leaching time lasts for days

Agitation Leaching Pressure Leaching

! used to process particles ! carried out at elevated
<0.5mm in diameter temperatures and
! particles are stirred in pressures in reaction
tanks to accelerate vessels called
leaching process autoclaves
" Mechanical agitators ! used to obtain solutions

(impellers) of minerals which are

" Air (pachuca tanks)
difficult to dissolve at
atmospheric pressure
! leaching time would last
! solution rate is higher
for hours

Bacterial Leaching

! rate of solution of certain sulfides is increased

with the use of microorganisms
! bacteria are used to increase digestion rate
of the valuable mineral
Methods of Metal Winning

! Electrometallurgy
" recovery and
purification of
metals using
electrodeposition
of metals at the
cathode
" Redox reactions