CuSX

Olympic Dam

Barren Solvent
0.8g/l Cu

Copper and Uranium Solvent Extraction

Pregnant Leach Solution (PLS)

(Rich in Cu & U3O8)

CuSX

pper laye
oves to u
Copper m

Spent Scrub

Jameson Cells remove

entrained organics

Cu Raffinate
to USX

Spent Electrolyte

0.3g/l Cu
250mg/L U3 O8
10g/l H2 SO4

oves to b
Copper m

r
ottom laye

Spent Electrolyte
35g/l Cu
200g/l Acid

AQ

Strong
Electrolyte

Extraction

Strip

O/A
70/30
Organic
Recycle

O/A
55/45
Electrolyte
Recycle

SOLVENT

Refinery
(EW)

AQ (Electrolyte)

2 Parallel
Mixer
Settler
Trains

PLS

Extraction (4)

Solvent
with
oxime
extractant

Scrubbing (2)

2.3g/l Cu
250mg/L U3 O8
10g/l Acid

Stripping (4)

600 m/hour

1100 m/hour

3.1mg/l Cl

Loaded Solvent
3.2g/l Cu
1.4mg/l Cl

Refinery
Scrub potable
water removes
entrained Cl

Spent Electryete Bleed

( Removes Fe)

Strong
Electrolyte
50g/l Cu
180g/l Acid
22mg/l Chloride

110m/hour

Clay removes
chemical contaminants
(amine)

2R-H + + Cu <=> R - Cu + 2H +
H+

Water
(removes Cl )

Extraction - Reaction moves to the right in low acid environment

Strip - Reaction moves to the left in high acid environment

Copper Raffinate
(rich in U3O8)

USX

USX

Air Pulse

Acidification and
Regeneration

Spent Scrub

Barren Strip Solution

Ura

r
ttom laye
ves to bo
nium mo

Loaded
Strip
Solution

Uranium Raffinate
to CCDs
0.3g/l Cu
10mg/l U 3O 8
10g/l H2SO 4

Extraction
14 Pulsed
Columns

AQ

Scrubbing (3)

Pulse Columns (14)

Copper Raffinate
from Copper SX
0.3g/l Cu
250mg/l U3O8
10g/l H2 SO4

2400 m/hour

Scrub
(remove Fe Zr)
Bi

Water
(removes Fe, SiO2, Zr )
Bi

Precipitation
& Calciner
Increase pH
to 6.9 - 7.1

Strip

SOLVENT

Inject
Ammonia
to adjust
pH from
2.7 to 3.9

AQ (Strip Solution)

Stripping (4)
Precipitation
&
Calcination

Uranium Raffinate

Barren Uranium Strip

<5mg/l U3O8

NH3

Loaded Solvent

Barren Solvent

Stripped Uranium Solvent

100mg/l U3O8

2R3N + H2SO4
44 3

2(R3NH+)2SO42- + UO2(SO )

250 m/hour

17m/hour

Loaded Uranium
Strip
20,000mg/l U3O8
pH 3.10

Loaded Uranium Solvent

2500mg/l U3O8

(R3NH+ ) 2 SO42-

ACIDIFICATION

(R3NH+) 4 [UO 2 (SO4) 34- ] + 2SO 42-

EXTRACTION

ODECH493