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Copper Chloride Leaching Process

Copper Chloride Leaching Process

Achieve sustainable and economical copper recovery from primary copper sulfides

Our copper chloride leaching process utilizes our highly effective atmospheric chloride leaching technology, including gold and silver recovery. We have coupled this with world-renowned VSF solvent extraction and electrowinning technology to make a process that is especially effective with low-grade and impure copper feed materials.

  • Provides combined copper, gold, and silver recovery from copper sulfides    
  • Produces copper as standard LME-A grade cathodes    
  • Includes atmospheric leaching technology without fine-grinding    
  • Lowers oxygen and lime(stone) consumption thanks to sulfide oxidation to elemental sulfur    
  • Functions more economically at lower capacities than traditional methods

The Copper Chloride Leaching Process consists of the following main steps:

  • Concentrate repulp    
  • Atmospheric chloride leaching    
  • Leaching residue thickening, filtration, wash, and stabilization   
  • Copper solvent extraction (conversion from chloride to sulfate)    
  • Silver recovery from raffinate    
  • Copper electrowinning

 

Additional gold recovery circuit:

  • Atmospheric gold chloride leaching from copper leaching residue    
  • Residue separation and wash    
  • Gold recovery on activated carbon    
  • Carbon incineration and gold bullion manufacturing    

Water balance management:

  • Process water balance management is designed to recycle the maximum amount of process water, with only purified water discharged.

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