| Development and implementation of the oxidized copper ores' heap leaching processes in the Republic of Kazakhstan Larissa Kushakova1; Yevgeniy Startsev1; Natalya Sizikova1; 1VNIITSVETMET, Ust-Kamenogorsk, Kazakhstan; PAPER: 44/Recycling/Regular (Oral) SCHEDULED: 15:55/Sat. 26 Oct. 2019/Ambrosia A (77/RF) ABSTRACT: Nowadays, it is obvious that the share of the hydrometallurgical operations in the global volumes of non-ferrous metals production is gradually increasing [1]. This trend is specific to the Republic of Kazakhstan as well. Rapid development of the copper hydrometallurgy based on the processes of heap leaching (HL), solvent extraction (EX) and electrowinning (EW) resulting in getting highly-pure copper cathodes and economic efficiency has been specific to the country during recent years. <br />The Eastern mining-and-metallurgical research institute for non-ferrous metals (VNIItsvetmet) has been running the researches on application of HL-EX-EW processes for processing of copper-bearing ores of Kazakhstan deposits since 1997. The heap leaching tests include study of the ores’ material composition, bottle roll and column tests, selection of the optimal extractant for each pregnant leaching solution (PLS), etc. Research results can be used to come up with the feasibility studies, Process Procedures, basic design, and detailed engineering of the ore-processing plants [2]. <br />There is a number of plants operating nowadays in Kazakhstan under HL-SX-EW technology which were designed and constructed on the basis of VNIItsvetmet research results. There are, for example, ore-processing plants at the deposits of Kounrad (annual capacity of 13 thousand tons of copper cathodes), Ayak-Kodzhan (annual capacity of 3 thousand tons of copper cathodes), Aktogay (annual capacity of 15 thousand tons of copper cathodes) and others [3]. References: [1] Mark. E. Schlesinger, Mattew J. King, Kathryn C. Sole, William G. Davenport. Extractive Metallurgy of Copper (2011) 481.<br />[2] L. Kushakova, N. Sizikova. Process aspects of Kazakhstan copper ores’ heap leaching, Intensification of hydrometallurgical processes of recycling of natural and technogenic raw materials, St. Petersburg (2018), 143-146.<br /> [3] Larissa Kushakova, Yevgeniy Startsev. Ore processing under SX-EW technology - Kazakhstan experience // Lix Users’ Conference 2017 by BASF, Santa-Cruz, Chile, November 13th-15th, 2017. |
