Overview Solvent Extraction
World Copper Solvent Extraction
Plants: Practices and Design
Tim Robinson, Scot Sandoval, and Paul Cook
This article compiles the results
of a review of world copper solvent
extraction (SX) plant practices and
examines changes in operating practices
in the last seven years as compared
to previous world copper SX surveys
in 1996 and 1999. Trends covered are
fiber-reinforced plastic construction
mixer box and settler designs, reverse
flow settlers, and advanced mixer
design. These changes have resulted
in improved capital and operating
costs.
INTRODUCTION
In 1996 and 1999, surveys were
conducted of the practice and design
of 29 copper solvent extraction (SX)
plants.1,2,3 Those surveys have been sup-
plemented with recent trends observed
at new plants built from 1999 to 2003.
Additional data on the worlds SX
plants can be found in References 4
and 5.
The plants covered in the two previous
surveys are detailed in Table I and their
locations are shown in Figures 1a and
1b. Several SX plants did not participate
in the 1999 survey, including four from
Asia, three from North America, and
seven from Chile. Table I indicates
that approximately half of the 1999
respondents are from Chile (46%) and
one third are from the United States
(34%). The remaining plants (20%) are
from Australia, Zambia, Mexico, Peru,
and Europe (Cyprus and Finland). From
1999 to 2003 the trend has been further
plant closures in Australia and the
United States as more plants have been
built in South America.
New SX plants added since the last
survey in 1999 include El Tesoro, Chile
(2001); Radomiro Tomic expansion,
Chile (2001); Los Bronces LIX II, Chile
(2001); Morenci Stargo SX, United
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States (2001); OMG Kokkola Copper, capital cost. Also in the southwest
Finland (2001); Bwana Mkubwa expan- United States, series parallel has been
sion, Zambia (2002); and BHPB Tintaya, popular to maintain production as
Peru (2002). Plants that have terminated pregnant leach solution (PLS) grades
their operations since the last surveys have been reduced over time and,
include Mount Isa Mines Ltd. in subsequently, flow rates have increased.
Australia and BHPB San Manuel. Additional information about SX plant
Girilambone in New South Wales will configuration is in Reference 1.
be shutting down at the end of 2003.
MATERIALS OF
PLANT CONFIGURATION CONSTRUCTION
Sixty percent of the plants built by The traditional construction material
1999 and typically all new SX plants for copper solvent extraction mixer
built by 2003 used series configuration boxes and associated settlers has been
in their solvent extraction plant designs. stainless steel. The first plants built in
The remaining plants used a series the 1970s and in the United States
parallel layout. Series parallel has in the 1980s were made of stainless
been more prevalent in the southwest steel. This was due to readily available
United States and Australia with the skilled welders and the absence of high
incremental expansions and conversion chloride levels in the PLS. Those condi-
from series to series parallel in order tions changed during the copper SX
to increase flow capability at minimum electrowinning (EW) plant construction
Table I. Surveyed Solvent Extraction Plants
Copper Solvent Extraction Plant Country Map Locator
Phelps Dodge Miami Mining Corp., Miami, AZ United States 1
Phelps Dodge Sierrita Corp., AZ United States 2
Burro Chief Copper Co. (Phelps Dodge Tyrone), NM United States 3
Burro Chief Copper Co. (Phelps Dodge Chino Mines Co.), NM United States 4
Phelps Dodge Morenci, Morenci, AZ United States 5
Silver Bell Mining L.L.C, AZ United States 6
BHP Copper San Manuel, AZ United States 7
BHP Copper Pinto Valley, AZ United States 8
Phelps Dodge, Sociedad Minera Cerro Verde S.A. Peru 9
Southern Peru Ltd. Peru 10
Phelps Dodge, Sociedad Contractual Minera El Abra Chile 11
Compania Minera Cerro Colorado Chile 12
Codelco ChileDivision Radimiro Tomic Chile 13
Codelco ChileDivision El Teniente Chile 14
Compania Minera Camen de Andacollo, AZ Chile 15
Empresa Minera de Mantos Blancos, Mantos Blancos Mine Chile 16
Empressa Minera de Mantos Blancos, Mantoverde Mine Chile 17
Compania Minera Quebrada Blanca Chile 18
Compania Minera Zaldivar Chile 19
Girilambone Copper Co., Straits Resources Australia 21
Nullabor Mining, Cloncurry Australia 22
Mt. Isa Mines, Ltd. (shut down) Australia 23
Pasminco Metals, BHAS Australia 24
Mt. Cuthbert Copper Co. Australia 25
Mexicana de Cobre, SA de C.V. Nacozari Mexico 26
Hellenic Copper Mines Ltd. Cyprus 27
Konkola Copper, Chingola Leach Plant, new tank house Zambia 30
JOM July 2003
 Arizona New
Mexico
8 1
6 5 4
2 7 3
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boom in Chile in the 1990s when the
leaching of atacamite and subsequent
high chloride solution levels led to liner
systems. Initially used for low-cost
SX- EW designs, concrete mixer settlers
lined with high-density polyethylene
pipe became the industry standard for
plants of all sizes in South America.
However, there were disadvantages
to this construction: liners leak and
the acidic solvent extraction solutions
damage the concrete. Recently there
has been a trend toward fiber-reinforced
plastic construction with external steel
beam reinforcement. Polymer concrete
using vinyl ester resins has also been
used in the construction of mixer boxes
and for mixer settlers outside the copper
industry, in chloride electrolytes at
Palmag in Palabora, South Africa.
MIXER SETTLER DESIGNS
Mixer settler designs have developed
since the first plants were built in the
United States and Africa in the early
1970s. Most of the designs are modified
low profile using multiple mixing stages
to reduce the differential between the
mixer box floor and the settler. Most
plants use modern pump mixer designs.
Since 1999, several plants have installed
low-shear mixer technology called
vertical smooth flow that uses a disper-
sion pump and open spiral type of
agitator. These plants include Radomiro
2003 July JOM
27
30
25
23 22
10 21
9 24
12
Tomic and Zaldivar in Chile and 18
Morenci Stargo in the United States. 11
When compared to the older mixer 16 13
designs, this technology offers less 19
air introduction, even dispersion band
generation, and enhanced settling.
Specialist mixer technologists have
also been able to improve pump mixer 17
impeller designs with the new reagents
and better kinetics. The latest mixer 15
settlers were built with the reverse flow
design used at La Caridad and Tintaya.
This design employs an extra launder X Santiago
along the side of the mixer to enhance
settling and assist with mixer settler 14
layout with final weir discharge next
to mixer boxes. This design was first
used at Ranchers Bluebird plant, the
first copper SX-EW in Arizona. At this
stage, no commercial plant is using
column or in-line static mixer settlers
for copper extraction.
PLS GRADE
Figure 1. (a) 1996
The PLS grade or tenor is primarily and 1999 surveyed
related to the ore grade and/or leach copper solvent
process route. In the survey, approxi- extraction plants not
including those in
mately 50% of the plants operated South America. (b)
below 2.5 g/L and 50% above. The Surveyed plants in
plants below 2.5 g/L, which received Chile and southern
Peru.
PLS solutions via dump or stockpile
leaching, were largely located in the
United States. Plants producing higher
PLS tenors from crushed, agglomerated, b
and stacked higher-grade ore were
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