Copper sulfide waste dumps, leaching

Cathles L. M. (1979) Predictive capabilities of a finite difference model of copper leaching in low grade industrial sulfide waste dumps. Math. Geol. 11, 175—191. 

The economics of some mines frequentiy depend heavily on the revenues derived from leaching the waste to recover additional copper. This waste material, which has to be removed to uncover the ore, may be hauled to specially constmeted dumps, where the sulfides, the most common form of copper mineral, are oxidized and the leach solution can contact the waste material uniformly. Economics sometimes precludes optimization of dumps for leaching operations because of such factors as compaction, size distribution, and terrain (16). 

Table 9.2-1 presents the copper production by major copper producers in the western United StiUes for the year 1978. The tonnage pi uc by dump leaching and the leaching of oxide ores was 18% of mial year tonnage. An estimated two-thirds of this, or approximately 12% of the total, may be attributed to dump leaching of low-grade predominantly sulfide-waste materials. 

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