Sulfide ore leaching process

摘要

The present invention discloses a new process for leaching sulfide minerals consisting of leaching crushed ore in a vat reactor, wherein the leaching solution is fed with an ORP value close to the upper limit suitable for leaching and the exiting leaching solution leaves the reactor with an ORP above the lower limit suitable for leaching the ore. The output leaching solution that leaves the leaching reactor goes through an iron oxidation stage outside the leaching reactor, with the iron oxidation producing soluble ferric sulfate that is mixed with a recirculated portion of the output leaching solution to increase its ORP up to a value close to the upper limit of the redox potential range that is suitable for the ore leaching.

主权项

1. A process for leaching sulfide minerals, comprising:
crushed ore leaching in a vat reactor in which an input leaching solution is fed with an oxidation-reduction-potential (“ORP”) close to an upper limit of an ORP range suitable for ore leaching and from where an exiting leaching solution leaves with an ORP above a lower limit of the ORP range and less than the ORP of the input leaching solution, wherein the ORP range is about 380 to 450 mV at a temperature of 25 to 45° C. or 500 to 700 mV at a temperature of greater than 60° C.; and where part of the exiting leaching solution that leaves the vat reactor goes through an iron oxidation stage, external to the vat reactor, with the iron oxidation producing soluble ferric sulfate that is mixed with a recirculated portion of the output leaching solution to increase its ORP up to a value close to the upper limit of the redox potential range that is suitable for the ore leaching.