MIME 341 - Introduction To Mineral Processing

MIME 341 – Introduction to Mineral
Processing
Module 7 – Introduction to
Leaching and Thickeners
Tuesday 17 March 2015

HYDROMETALLURGY
Solvent Extraction & Electrowinning (SX-EW)
Copper Oxide or
Low Grade Sulphide Ores
Copper Oxide Leaching-SX-EW
Leaching
CuO + H2SO4 = CuSO4 + H2O
Solvent Extraction
Cu2+aq + 2RHorg = R2Cuorg + 2H+
Electrowinning
2Cu2+ + 2H2O = 2Cu0 + 4H+ + O2
Leaching
Toquepala Copper
Mine, Southern Peru
 The surface the

pit is 6.5 km
across.
 Spoil dumps
from the pit are
in tiers along the
northwest lip.
 Angular leach
pads appear
lower right.
Leaching
Solvent Extraction
Cu2+aq,(dilute) + 2RHorg → R2Cuorg + 2H+ (dilute)
R2Cuorg + 2H+ (strong) → Cu2+aq (strong) + 2RHorg
Electrowinning
2Cu2+ + 2H2O = 2Cu0 + 4H+ + O2
Solvent Extraction Process Overview
http://www.postmixing.com/mixing%20forum/Macro/Liq-Liq/Mixer-Settlers/cfd%20design/background.htm
Leaching
Solvent Extraction
Cu2+aq + 2RHorg = R2Cuorg + 2H+
Electrowinning
2Cu2+ + 2H2O = 2Cu0 + 4H+ + O2
Electrowinning: Inside tankhouse
Electrowinning: Inside tankhouse
Finished Cathodes
Starter Sheets
SX-EW Cathodes ready for market
Copper products
 Wire, Rod
 Sheets, Pipes
 60% of use in
China is in
housing and
power
Thickening
Sedimentation
 Sedimentation is the settling of solid particles in a

fluid medium
 Often water
 End up with clarified liquid at the top

• supernatant
 Solid particles in a bed at the bottom

Role in mineral processing
 Need to dewater both tailings and concentrates
 Sedimentation produces a pulp of 55-65 % solids

by mass
 This removes up to 80 % of the water
 Filtration then gives 80 – 90 % solids

Thickener
1: Slurry Feedpipe
2: Flocculant Solution
3: Baffled Feedwell
4: Clarification Zone
5: Bed (solids)
6: Overflow Launder
7: Underflow Pump
8: Bridge
9: Rake Drive Mechanism
10: Rakes
Schematic of a typical thickener
Particle motion in a fluid
-forces acting on a particle
Bouyancy Drag Force

Force
Gravitational
Force
Fb - bouyancy force
Fd – drag force
Fg – gravitational force
Terminal velocity
 If a spherical particle is allowed to settle, it will

increase velocity until:
 Acceleration force = resistance force
 This velocity is the terminal velocity
 The turbulence of the system plays a key role

The terminal velocity for a spherical particle settling
under gravity:
(a)For very small particles where Re <0.2
d 2g
uo = (ρ S − ρ )
18µ
(b)For particles where 500-1000 < Re < 105
u 2
= 3dg
( ρS − ρ )
ρ
o
Assumptions made for terminal velocity
 Free settling
 No wall effects
 Fluid is a continuous medium

Terminal velocity of 100 µm silica particle:
 There are different 30
Induction
regions in
sedimentation 20 Free Settlement
Mud Height (cm)

 Induction
Hindered Settlement
 Free settlement 10
 Hindered settling Compaction

0
Compaction 0 100 200 300 400
Time (secs)
Need to increase the settling rate
 Induce coagulation / flocculation
 This give larger particles
 Increases the settling rate
 Can be done in a number of ways

Zeta potential
+ +
particle
+ + + co unter ion
+
+
+ + +
+ + +
+
+
+ + ζ potential measured here
+ + +
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ + +
+
+ Decay of potential in the
+
+
diffuse double layer
Electrical
Potential
Distance
0
 For any system there is
a balance between the
attractive and repulsive
forces
 Repulsive forces not

only prevent particle
coagulation, but also
hinder settling
Surface chemistry – zeta potentials
60
40 Stable colloidal suspension

ζ-Potential [mV]
20
Iso-electric point
0 pH
2.5
-20
Stable colloidal suspension

-40
-60
Suspension stability
 Conventional rule-of-thumb: Colloidal suspensions

are stable with a zeta potential greater than 30 mV
 If we alter the zeta potential, reducing the

magnitude, attractive forces take over
 Salt addition is an easy way of doing this

Kaolinite
pH
0
0 2 4 6 8 10 12
-10
-20
ζ-potential [mV]
-30
-40
-50
-60
50 mM CaCl2 10mM CaCl2 1mM CaCl2 0.1mM CaCl2 0mM CaCl2
-70
Other methods of inducing sedimentation
 The addition of other compounds to induce
flocculation
 Known as flocculants
 Often use polyacrylamides
 Bridging flocculation
• Polyelectrolytes attach to more than one particle
• Overcome electrostatic repulsion
Terminology proposed:
 Coagulation: is the destabilisation of colloidal

dispersions by adding ions which cause a
reduction in the mutually repulsive electrical double
layer forces present at the solid-liquid interface
 Flocculation: is the aggregation of colloidal

suspensions by the action of high molecular weight
polymer soluble in the continuous phase by means
other than charge reduction
Issues?
 Flocculants induce flocculation of different particles
 Resulting floccs are larger than initial particles
 Increased sedimentation rate

Thickener area
 The area required for a thickener can be calculated

from the following equation:
Q0Cρ s (Y − U )
A=
uc ρ l
Equation for the area, A
Q0 Cρ s
A= (Y − U )
uc ρ l
 A is area of the thickener [m2]

 Q0 is the volumetric flow rate of the feed [m3 s-1]
 C is volumetric concentration of solids in the feed [m3 m-3]
 uc is settling rate / sedimentation rate [m s-1]
 ρs is the density of the solid [kg m-3]
 ρl is the density of the liquid [kg m-3]
 Y is the ratio of water to solids in the feed [kg kg-1]
 U is the ratio of water to solids in the underflow [kg kg-1]
 Volumetric feed rate can be taken to be
analogous to the feed to a separator
 Whereas in previous examples, the feed has been
in mass flow rates, such as tonnes per hour…
 Here it is in cubic metres per unit time, such as m3
s-1; m3 min-1; m3 hr-1
 As opposed to using F, Q is often used in fluid
flow
Q0 Cρ s
A= (Y − U )
uc ρ l
Example:
 Slurry contains 5:1 ratio of water to solids
 Continuous operation
 Final underflow gives a ratio of 1.5 kg of water to

every 1 kg of solids
 Minimum rate of sedimentation of 0.05 mm s-1
 Area required to effect the separation of 1.33 kg s-

1 solids?
 Given the mass flow rate of solids, not the
volumetric flow rate of the feed Q0…
 BUT – we know that the concentration of solids in

the feed, C, multiplied by the volumetric flow rate
of the feed gives…
 The volumetric flow rate of the solids in the feed
 AND, we know that the volumetric flowrate of the

solids, multiplied by the density of the solids
equals the mass flowrate of the solids
 Therefore, the example question gives the value for Q0Cρs
= 1.33 kg hr-1
 The settling velocity of the solids is 0.05 mm s-1, but the

area is given in m2
 We need to ensure consistency of units throughout the

calculation
 Therefore, convert to m s-1: 0.05x10-3 m s-1
 Or, it can be taken as 5x10-5 m s-1

Values:
(Y − U ) = (5 − 1.5) =
3.5
= × 4
−3
7 10 s m-1
uc 0.05 ×10 5 ×10 −5
Q0 Cρ s = 1.33 kg s-1
Density of water is ~1000 kg m-3
1.33
7 ×10 4 = 93.1 m2
1000
 Check through the units to ensure they are correct

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MIME 341 – Introduction to Mineral

Tuesday 17 March 2015

Solvent Extraction & Electrowinning (SX-EW)

 The surface the

R2Cuorg + 2H+ (strong) → Cu2+aq (strong) + 2RHorg

 Sedimentation is the settling of solid particles in a

 End up with clarified liquid at the top

 Solid particles in a bed at the bottom

 Need to dewater both tailings and concentrates

 Sedimentation produces a pulp of 55-65 % solids

 This removes up to 80 % of the water

 Filtration then gives 80 – 90 % solids

Bouyancy Drag Force

 If a spherical particle is allowed to settle, it will

 Acceleration force = resistance force

 This velocity is the terminal velocity

 The turbulence of the system plays a key role

 Fluid is a continuous medium

Mud Height (cm)

 Hindered settling Compaction

 Induce coagulation / flocculation

 This give larger particles

 Increases the settling rate

 Can be done in a number of ways

 Repulsive forces not

40 Stable colloidal suspension

Stable colloidal suspension

 Conventional rule-of-thumb: Colloidal suspensions

 If we alter the zeta potential, reducing the

 Salt addition is an easy way of doing this

 Often use polyacrylamides

 Coagulation: is the destabilisation of colloidal

 Flocculation: is the aggregation of colloidal

 Flocculants induce flocculation of different particles

 Resulting floccs are larger than initial particles

 Increased sedimentation rate

 The area required for a thickener can be calculated

 A is area of the thickener [m2]

 Final underflow gives a ratio of 1.5 kg of water to

 Minimum rate of sedimentation of 0.05 mm s-1

 Area required to effect the separation of 1.33 kg s-

 BUT – we know that the concentration of solids in

 The volumetric flow rate of the solids in the feed

 AND, we know that the volumetric flowrate of the

 The settling velocity of the solids is 0.05 mm s-1, but the

 We need to ensure consistency of units throughout the

 Therefore, convert to m s-1: 0.05x10-3 m s-1

 Or, it can be taken as 5x10-5 m s-1

Density of water is ~1000 kg m-3

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