HEAP LEACHING

OF
METALS
Suresh A. Kartha,
Associate Professor,
Department of Civil Engineering,
Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati,
India
eMail: kartha@iitg.ernet.in
suresh.kartha@gmail.com
11/21/16

Outline of this
Presentation

Introduction to the topic mining, importance of

metals, metal extraction processes, etc.
Use of heap leaching for extraction of metals
Various units in a heap and requirement of
engineering
Heaps visualized as unsaturated porous media
Modeling an essential tool for management of
heap leaching
What is model?
Objectives of this research and mathematical
modeling of flow and transport in heap leaching
Development of mathematical PDEs for
unsaturated flow
Finite-difference solution
expression for
11/21/16

Outline (Contd)
Various

conceptual theories for mathematical

modeling of metal extraction:
Shrinking core method; reactive transport;
multiprocess non-equilibrium transport, etc.
Development of single specie solute transport in
heaps using RTT and its finite-difference solution
Applications of numerical model for heap
leaching of metals like copper from oxide copper
ore; gold from carlin ores; etc.
Comparison of recovery curves
Conclusions

11/21/16

Introduction to the topic

Metals

are of high importance for

mankind.
Be it precious metals like gold,
silver, platinum or common metals
like iron, copper, nickel, aluminum,
etc., the demand of these metals
are huge
The economy of most countries
depend on the production of these
metals.
As most of you know, Kerala is one
of the largest gold selling markets
in the whole world and the demand
of gold is quite huge. 11/21/16

Introduction..
From

where does these gold or silver or copper,

etc. for the ornaments come from??

You

cannot take directly as it is from nature.

These

metals exist in the form of ores on earth.

They

have to be mined and processed to obtain

the respective metals.

For

example copper exist in nature in oxide

(primary) and sulphide (secondory) product
forms.

11/21/16

Copper ores..
The

copper ores that are available at shallow

height as well as consisting of oxides are called

oxide copper ores (primary).
Malachite
(CuCO3.Cu(OH)2)

Azurite
(2CuCO3.Cu(OH)2)

Chrysocolla
(CuSiO3.2H2O)

From
http://nevada-outback-gems.com/copper-ores/copper_ores.htm
11/21/16

Copper ores..
The

copper ores that exist deep and consist of

sulphide components are called sulphide

copper ores (secondory copper ores).
Chalcocite
(CuS2)

Bornite (Cu5FeS4)

Covellite (CuS)

From
http://nevada-outback-gems.com/copper-ores/copper_ores.htm
11/21/16

So how do you extract copper from

its ores?

You

can see that the metals are embedded in soils

in natural form and cannot be used.

There

are processes like sieving, pyrometallurgy,

and hydrometallurgy, etc. through which you can

extract metals from its ores.

http://www.mintek.co.za/Pyromet/

http://www.outokumpu.ru/
11/21/16

Hydrometallurgy
The

method of using of liquids to dissolve and

extract metals from its ores is hydrometallurgy.

There

are large field units and small indoor units

that can employ hydrometallurgy for metal

extraction.
Among

the outdoor units, heap leaching is a

famous hydrometallurgical process.

11/21/16

Heap Leaching

Heap leaching low cost hydrometallurgical method to extract

metals from its low grade ores.

The raw ore is crushed and stacked as heap.

Heap is irrigated with lixiviant leach solution that reacts and

dissolve the metal content in the ore.

This pregnant leach solution is collected at bottom of heap for

further processes.

Most precious metals like gold, silver, and metals like copper,
nickel, as well as caliche minerals etc. are economically extracted
using heap leaching.

Image Courtesy from:

http://www.learner.org/courses/biology/images/archi
ve/fullsize/1339_fs.jpg
11/21/16

10

Schematic Representation of A
Heap Leaching Unit

11/21/16

11

A Heap Layout
Image Courtesy from:
Ashley Chancellor, Brian Arther in their
presentation of paper Emigrant Mine
Feasibility. in Heap Leach Solutions 2015 held
at Reno, Nevada, USA.

Image Courtesy from:

Bernard Brixel, Jack Caldwell, Christoph Wels in their paper Groundwater issues from the website
http://www.infomine.com/library/publications/docs/Brixel2012.pdf
11/21/16

12

How are the heaps laid?

Image Courtesy from:

Veli Gokdere, Engin Altay, Suleiman C Cenghiz in their presentation of paper Testing low-grade in
Heap Leach Solutions 2015 held at Reno, Nevada, USA. 11/21/16

13

Caliche Heaps

Image Courtesy from:

Aguas Blancas Atacama Minerals Corp. Corporate Presentation June 2007

11/21/16

14

How Heap Leaching is to be

engineered
As

you have seen in photographs, heaps

are of large sizes.
Engineering principles need to be applied
for design of

Heap leaching pad and its foundations, if

any.
Geotechnical design for side slopes
Irrigation network
Water or liquid collecting units, etc.

The

sizes depend on the capacity and the

intended extraction of metals.
The extraction metal is called recovered
11/21/16

15

Heap/Dump Leaching of Oxide

Copper Ores
Oxide

copper ores are stacked in small

heights.
Dilute sulphuric acid is used as the
leaching reagent.
The chemical reaction involved is

CuSiO3.2H2O+H2SO4 =
CuSO4+3H2O+SiO2

Sulphuric

acid converts the copper in

the ore to dissolved copper sulphate
into the liquid.
For oxide copper the height of heap
should be less, so
that the dissolved
11/21/16

16

Heaps as variably saturated Porous

Media

Image Courtesy from:

Image Courtesy from:

http://www.learner.org/courses/biology/images/archive/f
ullsize/1339_fs.jpg

https://dl.sciencesocieties.org/images/
publications/sssaj/67/3/703f11.jpeg

Heaps

can be visualized as unsaturated porous

media. (Kartha, 2007; Kartha and Srivastava,
2012).
Flow and solute transport mechanisms adopted
for variably saturated porous media very
much applicable to heap leaching.
11/21/16

17

Modeling heap leaching

Heap

leaching of metals (or caliche) involves

complex processes, such as:

o
o
o
o

Flow of lixiviant or chemical solution through the

pores in the heaps
Interaction of these lixiviants with metallic
values present in the solids
Dissolution of metallic species into the liquid
Collection of preganant solutions consisting of
dissolved metallic species, from the bottom

For

proper management of heaps and heap

leaching, understanding of leaching
phenomena essential.
Most important tool for optimal design of
11/21/16

18

What is Modeling?
A Model is something that
replicates the actual
object or phenomenon.
You know, earth is
approximately spherical
in shape.
We can model the shape
of earth using globes.
The globe is a
physical miniature
Image Courtesy From:
replication of earth. http://www.clipartbest.com/c
lipart-dc8GyMpce

11/21/16

19

Modeling..
Similarly there are many objects
and/or phenomena that can be
physically modeled.

Model of flow channels and weirs

Groundwater 1flow apparatus, etc.

A channel flume

Groundwater Apparatus
11/21/16

20

Modeling

Sometimes you can also model such

natural or engineered phenomena
using certain mathematical
expressions.
Recall the globe:
In a 3D Cartesian coordinate system
we can express a sphere as:

Where
is the coordinate of
the center of the sphere, R is its
radius.

You can also

have
graphical
representati
on of the
sphere as
shown
below. They
are

Graphical
Models.

[Image Courtesy From:

http://www.math10.com/en/geometry/anal
ytic-geometry/geometry4/solid-analytic
-geometry.html
11/21/16
21
]

Modeling
So

in modeling there are:

Physical Models,
Graphical Models, and
Mathematical Models

Possible for Modeling studies

11/21/16

22

Mathematical Models
A mathematical model is:
the formulation or equation that expresses
the essential features of a physical system or
a process in mathematical terms.
For

example, you can visualize the mathematical

expression for a straight line:

Similarly

there are various mathematical

expressions available (e.g. as you have seen
sphere equation).

In

fact mathematical models have made life easy

by replicating complex phenomena in the form of
mathematical expressions.
11/21/16

23

In general, a mathematical model will be of the

form:
Dependent Variable,

DV = f (IV, P)

Dependent variable, DV the variable that

mimics the state or behavior of the system

Independent variable, IV generally space

and time

P Parameters

The various natural and engineering phenomena

can be mathematically modeled using:

Algebraic Equations

Ordinary Differential Equations (ODEs)

Partial Differential Equations (PDEs)

11/21/16

24

Solutions of Mathematical Equations

In

the mathematical form, you may be

required to solve these equations to
obtain the required solutions under
given conditions:

There

are

Analytical methods

Graphical methods

Approximations like numerical methods, etc.

11/21/16

25

For example
To solve a mathematical ordinary
differential equation
e.g: In the differential equation:
You have to solve and find the values of the
dependent variable y with respect to time t and
space x to avail the information of the
phenomena.

11/21/16

26

Numerical Methods:
The branch of mathematics
that deal with approximate
way of finding solutions to
various mathematical
expressions (or problems).

11/21/16

27

The Finite-Difference
Approach
The following steps are followed in
FDM:
Discretize the continuous domain (spatial or
temporal) to discrete finite-difference grid.
Approximate the derivatives in PDE by finite
difference approximations.
Substitute these approximations in PDEs at
any instant or location.
Obtain algebraic equations.
Solve the resulting algebraic equations.
11/21/16

28

The FDM for Parabolic PDE

Consider the diffusion equation:
FTCS Method

March

the solution at time level n to time

level n+1 i.e. using the information at time
tn, the properties at tn+1 can be identified.
11/21/16

29

We

need to check for the

consistency, stability, order, etc. for
any finite-difference scheme.
Similarly, the explicit FTCS method
needs to be checked for stability.
11/21/16

30

Backward Time Centered Space (BTCS):

The BTCS formulation takes into
account infinite propagation speed.

11/21/16

31

Mathematical expressions in heap

leaching

You

can now definitely ask, how and why

mathematical models or expressions are
suitable in studying heap leaching of metals?

The

mathematical models or expressions can

be arrived using fundamental conservation
laws:
Conservation

of mass

Conservation

of momentum

Conservation

of energy

We

require mathematical expressions e.g.

To

understand flow of lixiviant liquids through the

pores in the heap, and

To

understand 11/21/16
the transport of dissolved metals

32

Porous Media
We assume the stacked ore
heaps of concerned metals to
be porous continuous media.
Fundamental laws as stated
earlier - applicable to
continuum satisfied for porous
media also.
Pores may be partially or fully
filled with liquids in the heaps.

11/21/16

33

Methodology
Reynolds

Transport Theorem for general conservation

used for developing PDEs.
The heaps are considered as porous continuous domain.
Principles of conservation of mass and momentum for
continuum applied

The Material
Derivative
Or
Time Derivative of
Mass of Water

The amount of mass of

water generated or
destroyed inside the
Control Volume (CV)
11/21/16

Net mass outflow of

Water through the
surfaces of CV

34

Development of PDEs for unsaturated flow

in caliche heaps
The

RTT in mathematical form is:

For

mass conservation, DB/Dt = 0 and = 1

In an arbitrary three-dimensional porous heap of control
volume, U, and porosity, n, for a fluid of density is:
where, Uv volume of voids
However,

for porous media, dUv=ndU and dAv = ndA,

Therefore, the mass conservation of liquid in
heap is:
where, is degree of water saturation

The

heap (or porous media) has a volume U0

11/21/16

35

Development of PDEs for unsaturated

flow..

For

any arbitrary volume U, the water mass

conservation for unsaturated heap is derived as:

Using

liquid pressure P = -Pc , and utilizing Darcy

specific discharge relations,

we

get the mathematical expression for water mass

conservation:

where, r residual saturation, e effective saturation,

dynamic viscosity,

kl actual intrinsic permeability, ksat saturated intrinsic

permeability, ke effective permeability
11/21/16

36

Derived form for unsaturated flow in a

given control volume heap

Assuming
Applying Gauss Divergence
Theorem,

Image Courtesy from:

http://www.mrijma.go.jp/Project/mrinpd/Tech.Rep/D12.files/image002.jpg

11/21/16

37

Modeling the Transport of

Metals in Heaps

As discussed earlier, study of heap

leaching involves flow of bulk liquids
through the pores as well as dissolution and
transport of dissolved metal contents to
the bottom of the heap.
The theory for flow discussed.
In the solute transport phenomena, the
model should incorporate

Diffusion of lixiviant into deep solid particles

Dissolution of metallic contents into the liquid
Re-diffusion of liquids with metallic contents
into the mainstream flow through pores.
11/21/16

38

Transport of Metals in Heaps.

There are several conceptual
theories that describe the metal
mass transfer phenomena in heaps.

Shrinking core method:

Reactive Geochemical Transport
Multi-process non-equilibrium
transport

Shrinking Core

11/21/16

39

Purpose of The Study Here

With a specific aim of mathematically modeling

heap leaching of oxide copper ores using
MPNE solute transport mechanisms in porous
media, the objectives are:
Incorporate a mathematical relation for the temporal
variation in concentration of leaching reagent (i.e.
sulphuric acid in the case of oxide copper ore) during
leaching and its effect on the recovery of precious metal.
Simulate leaching scenarios in a two-dimensional oxide
copper heap
Provide temporal variation of concentration profiles
of copper in solid and dissolved phases in the heap.
11/21/16

40

Development of Multi-process
Non-equilibrium transport in
heaps

Solute

transport describes
dissolution and movement of
metallic species through heaps.
We again use general
conservation principle with
reference to RTT.
Let C concentration of solute
in dissolved state
Second term net solute mass
outflux through surfaces of CV
First term on right change in
mass of solute stored in the
volume

S1 concentration of solute in
solids amenable for
instantaneous dissolution
S2 solute concentration in solid
subjected to rate-limited
dissolution
s bulk density of solids
11/21/16

41

Mathematical
Formulations
The transport equation for acid or leaching solution in the mines is:
l l C a
t

r
. l l DC a . l ul C a l l C a

Change in acid
mass
Change due to
dispersive
effects

Change due
to
advection

Change due
to acid
consumption

where Ca is concentration of acid (g/g) in the liquid flowing through

the pores,
D is hydrodynamic dispersion coefficient
is porosity, l is saturation of liquid in the pores, l is density of
liquid
is the acid consumption factor
11/21/16

42

Mathematical Formulations
The transport equations for metal specie are
given as:
l l M
r
Sm 1 Sm 2
b

l l
l lM

S m 1
l FKC a M
t
t

Instantaneous sorption

S m 2
kC a 1 F l KM S m 2
t

Rate-limited
sorption

M is the concentration of pollutant specie in the flowing liquid

b is the bulk density of porous media or the mine
Sm1 is the concentration of pollutant in the instantaneously sorbed state
Sm2 is the concentration of pollutant in the rate-limited sorbed state
F is the fraction of total sorption that is instantaneous
k is the rate of sorption or the rate at which the acid extracts the pollutant
specie
11/21/16

43

Numerical methods for model development

Domain discretised into rectangular grids.
Here a two-dimensional
case is described
n
Ydi
re
ct
io

i,j+
1
i-1,j i,
i+1,
j
j
i,j-1

Z-direction

X-direction
For a 2D case, the width or thickness in the y-direction is
assumed as unity

onservation of mass for acid in the flowing liquid is:

l lCa
r
& d
d

.
uC

l l
a
l
l a l l Ca SC
l 0

i ,j
i ,j

ergence theorem application gives:

i ,j ,k

lCa
r
& d
d

C
.
dA

uC
SC

l l
a
l
l a .dA l l Cad
l 0

t
i ,j
i ,j
i ,j
i ,j

11/21/16

44

Numerical methods for model development

Approximating the above equation by implicit finite-difference
scheme, we get
n 1

Ca n
r
n 1 Ca
&

l l

SC

d
u

l 0 i ,j
l
q lq
i ,j
t
q

r n 1
b
Aq 1 ul Ca Aq 1
q
q
i ,j
i ,j

Ca n 1 Ca n 1
q
i ,j
xq

l l n 1 Ca n 1 i ,j

A residual equation of the above can be obtained as such:

n 1

RCa

n 1

C a n 1 C a n
r n1
b
&
Sl C 0 i , j l ulq C a q 1 Aq

t
q

l l

C a n 1 C a n 1
r
b
q
i,j
1 Aq l l n 1 C a n 1 i , j
l d q ulq

xq

11/21/16

45

Numerical methods for model development

Similar type of residual equation is obtained from

the conservation of mass for the metal specie and
is given below:

n 1

RM

n 1

n 1

M n 1 M n

i, j

l l
b l FKC a

n1
n

C a C a n 1
n1
n1
n 1
b l FK
M
b kC a 1 F l KM S m 2 i , j

n1
n 1

M i , j
r
r Mq
b
b
n 1
1 Aq
l ulq M q 1 Aq l d q ulq

x
q
q
q

11/21/16

46

Results
The boundary conditions for water flow
equation

The boundary conditions for solute transport

equation:
At Top
Bottom

At

11/21/16

47

Application to a 2D Heap
Parameters

Values

Parameters

Values

Bottom length of heap

25.0 m

Horizontal dispersivity dh

6.3710-3 m

Top length of heap

15.0 m

Vertical dispersivity dv

1.70410-2 m

Height of heap

5.0 m

Irreducible saturation r

0.28322

Porosity

0.459

Initial saturation in the heap

0.34858

Bulk density b

1360 kg.m-3

Saturated permeability ksat

6.2310-11 m2

Liquid density l

1011 kg.m-3

Viscosity of liquid l

910-4 kg.m-1s-1

Table I Parameters and physical values used in the hypothetical

heap
Parameters Values

Parameters Values

Parameters Values

0.50

km

4.9810-6 s-1

(Sm2)initial

2170 mg.kg-1

im

0.28322

kim

4.9810-6 s-1

(Sim2)initial

2170 mg.kg-1

Fm

0.200

2.0010-7 s-1

(Mm)initial

0.000 ppm

Fim

0.200

Km

8.6710-5 m3.kg-1

(Mim)initial

0.000 ppm

qt

1.6010-5 m.s-1

Kim

8.6710-5 m3.kg-1

(Cm)initial

0.000 ppm

1.5010-6 s-1

C0

410-2 kg.kg-1

(Cim)initial

0.000 ppm

Table II
model

MPNE parameters and other values for the numerical Heap Leach
11/21/16

48

Results
Two

dimensional simulations are carried out for

hypothetical heap of dimensions 25 m in length and 5 m

height.
These

heaps are more representative for the leaching of

oxide copper ores, where the leaching reagent used is

sulphuric acid.

11/21/16

49

Results
Variation

of concentration of sulphuric acid inside the heap during leaching

Profile showing variation of concentration of leaching reagent

(sulphuric acid) in the mobile liquid
a) At 0.25 days, b) At 10 days, and c) At 30 days
(The contour values are in 10-3 kg.kg-1).
11/21/16

50

Results
Variation

of concentration of dissolved copper in the mobile liquid inside the

heap during leaching

Profile showing variation of concentration of dissolved

copper in the mobile liquid
a) At 0.25 days, b) At 10 days, and c) At 30 days
(The contour values are in ppm).
11/21/16

51

Results
Variation

of concentration of oxide copper ore in the solid heap during

leaching

Profile showing variation of concentration of oxide copper in

the solid heap at 10 days
(The contour values are in mg.kg-1).
11/21/16

52

Partial results on heap leaching of Carlin type gold ores

The inputs and parameters for Carlin type gold ores

are:

11/21/16

53

Partial results on heap leaching of Carlin type gold ores

11/21/16

54

Conclusions

The concept of heap leaching is introduced to the audience

here.

We have seen that heap leaching is one of the most

economical hydrometallurgical method to extract metals from
its low-grade ores.

For proper management of heap leaching, the various

processes involved in it should be understood and
conceptualized.

We conceptualized heaps as unsaturated porous media.

Flow and solute transport principles in porous media

literatures are used here to describe metal leaching from
heaps.

The concepts are mathematically described using PDEs and

these PDEs are solved in respective domains using finitedifference method.
11/21/16

55

Conclusions.

The oxide copper ore heap leaching model consists of two

components:
First, the solute transport phenomena for acid movement in
mines and its subsequent consumption.
Second, the solute transport for the metallic species in the mines.

The numerical model used to analyze a hypothetical twodimensional oxide copper ore heap/dump leaching case.

Although the model developed from first principles and

conceptual, its laboratory or field verifications are yet to be
made.

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56

Acknowledgement
This is to acknowledge that the study was a part of
the Sponsored Research Project Non-ideal flow and
transport in bio-heap-leaching of precious metals
registered at IIT Guwahati and funded by Department
of Science and Technology, Ministry of Science and
Technology, Government of India.

11/21/16

57

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THANK YOU

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