3. Leaching practice

Solution treatment must be adapted to the type of material to be processed, whether raw ore or concentrate. It is followed by washing of the leaching residues and clarification of the copper solutions from which the copper is extracted. Sulfuric solution is the rule. It has the disadvantage of being ineffective for dissolving molybdenite and native gold.

3.1 Leaching of crude ores

Industrial leaching of crude ores is only applicable to oxidized copper ores, in whole or in large part, corresponding to the supergene zone of porphyry copper deposits. These ores are characterized by being all-mine ores, whether or not they have undergone primary cutting, and by being too poor to be processed economically in a concentration plant. Three methods are used.

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Leaching practice