PROCESS FOR THE PRESSURE OXIDATION ACID LEACHING OF NON-FERROUS METAL AND IRON-CONTAINING SULPHIDIC MATERIAL

摘要

Temperature control in a pressurised oxidation leach for the recovery of non-ferrous metals from a sulphidic material is exercised by carrying out the leach in a multi-compartment autoclave (12), the first compartment (14) of which contains a greater volume of the aqueous acidic leach slurry than any of the other compartments (16, 18, 20, 22). By this technique external heat input into the first compartment and cooling of the subsequent compartments is minimised.