Gonzalo A. Padilla, Luis A. Cisternas
Although heap leaching has become established as the technology for treatment of some copper, gold, and zinc minerals, as well as its extension to the treatment of other types of minerals such as saltpeter and mine tailings, little study has been made on the optimization of this technology. Usually the operation of heap leaching is carried out until the maximum recovery has been obtained, or until observing that the concentration in the output solution of the heap exhibits no further extraction. The present study makes an analysis to determine if these criteria present the best conditions from the economic standpoint. Two variables are examined including, (1) leaching time, and (2) height of the heap, at a copper mineral treatment plant. The results of the study showed that the design (height of the heap), and planning of the operation (operational time) were interactive factors, and that maximum recovery was not necessarily the best measure of operational efficiency based on economic considerations.
@article{63a1cdeb-63f1-43a8-b8ee-37d7e04a3c79,
title={On the optimization of heap leaching},
author={Gonzalo A. Padilla and Luis A. Cisternas},
year={2026},
language={en}
}TY - JOUR TI - On the optimization of heap leaching AU - Gonzalo A. Padilla AU - Luis A. Cisternas PY - 2026 LA - en ER -
Unknown, Unknown
This chapter discusses metal casting processes, highlighting the diversity and common characteristics among them. The objective is to elucidate the fu
Unknown, Unknown
This study focuses on the fundamental characteristics of solid iron, which is predominantly composed of iron atoms and provides a basis for understand
Ir. Méshac KIME ILUNGA
Ce document traite des procédés métallurgiques spéciaux, en mettant particulièrement l'accent sur l'extraction liquide-liquide, un processus mis au po
Copper solvent extraction units at large hydrometallurgical plants face constraints in metal recovery, phase disengagement, and reagent consumption, d