Leaching, agitation copper

BioCOP [Biological COPper] A bacterial process for leaching copper from its ores. BioCOP uses an agitated tank for oxidation and leaching of copper sulfides. Developed by BUP Billiton and Codelco, which operated a demonstration plant in Chuquicamata, Chile, from 2003. Several plants have been operated commercially in Chile since then. 

Va.t, or Agitated Leeching. Vat or agitated leaching usually extracts copper from oxide or mixed oxysulfide ores containing more... 

Choudhary et al. [58] found reaction controlled kinetics with an activation energy of 56.6 kJ/mol for the leaching of skeletal nickel, similar to the leaching of skeletal copper. The kinetics did not fit Levenspiel s shrinking core model [57] but it should be noted that the leaching solution was agitated with a flat stirrer at 1500 rpm. 

The temperature and NHj coneentrations in the leach liquor have the most influence on the rate of leaching, followed by oxygen partial pressure and amount of agitation. A pregnant solution with sufficient thiosulfate and polythionate content must be produced to react with the copper present in the subsequent boiling stage. It must also be regulated to produce an iron oxide residue with very little absorbed nickel. 

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