Metso has launched its Cu POX leaching process that not only maximizes copper recovery, but also reduces environmental impact.
“Copper sulfide minerals require specialized leaching conditions to achieve high recovery rates. Metso’s Cu POX leaching utilizes high-temperature oxidation to convert sulfide sulfur into sulfate and sulfuric acid, ensuring efficient copper dissolution,” explained Petteri Pesonen, technology manager, Copper Hydrometallurgy at Metso.
“This technology offers a high-performance solution with high, up to 99%, copper recovery rates, ensuring maximum extraction of valuable metals from the ore. The process also minimizes environmental impact by reducing emissions and optimizing the use of resources through, for example, closed loop process steps reducing the use of water.”
The heart of the Cu POX process is Metso’s proprietary OKTOP Autoclave unit, where copper concentrate is oxidized under high pressure and temperature. This results in a copper-bearing pregnant leach solution (PLS) to be further treated in solvent extraction and electrowinning processes, where copper is recovered as high-purity LME Grade A cathodes.
Metso said the flexible and scalable Cu POX process accommodates various capacities and raw material compositions. The pre-designed process and equipment package enables fast ramp-up to production and integrates seamlessly with solvent extraction and electrowinning (SX – EW) infrastructure. The Cu POX plant can also be implemented to improve existing heap leaching.
In all cases, Metso can provide end-to-end expertise from batch tests, modeling and pilot tests to engineering, equipment deliveries and plant commissioning, and training.
Source: Metso