Leaching
Extractive metallurgy - Hydrometallurgy

Leaching involves dissolving the target metals into solution in ionic form. The goal is to determine the optimal leaching solution in terms of reagent consumption and cost, minimal solubilization of impurities, and equipment maintenance. The leaching process involves the following steps (Figure 2 ):

• the reagent diffuses from the solution to the surface of the material, where it adsorbs;

• the chemical reaction occurring on the surface of the material leads to the formation of a soluble species;

• The reaction product desorbs from the surface and diffuses into the solution.