Hatch- Vacation Work

Copper Pressure Leach

Project Report

11 December 2023
Client Name Hatch
Project Name Vacation Work
Distribution
[Minerals Processing]

Copper Pressure Leach

Unit 540

Table of Contents
1. Introduction ........................................................................................................................................... 2
2. Process Description and Conditions ...................................................................................................... 2

2.1 Autoclave ...................................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

2.2 Thickener and Filter Presses……………………………………………………………………………2

3. Process Inputs and Outputs .............................................................................................................. 23

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Copper Pressure Leach

1. Introduction
Unit 540 of the Zimplats Base Metal Refurbishment project consists mainly of a Copper
Pressure Leach and a Polishing Copper Leach. Both are in a single Autoclave with 4
compartments. The first 3 compartments are for the Copper Pressure Leach (CPL) and the
last compartment is for the Polishing Copper Leach (PCL). The purpose is to leach the
residual Copper and Nickel Sulphides that is still present in the matte after the atmospheric
leaching and to dissolve the insoluble Copper hydroxides and sulfides that formed by
metathesis precipitation. This must be done whilst minimizing the amount of PGM’s that
dissolve.
We want to ensure that we have a solid mixture in the end that contains the minimal number
of base metals so that this can be processed to remove the PGM’s.

Leaching is the process of removing solutes from a solid mixture using a liquid solvent. Like
tea bags or coffee machines. In this case sulfuric acid and oxygen is used to remove Copper
from the matte via a chemical reaction that forms soluble copper sulphates.

2. Process Description
1. Autoclave.

Feed matte for the autoclave is received from the underflow of the atmospheric leach
thickener. This feed is then inserted into the autoclave together with oxygen and
concentrated sulfuric acid. It is kept at a pressure of 6 barG and a temperature of 130˚C
- 135˚C. These conditions are more severe than those found in the atmospheric leach,
and they allow for the copper to be leached more effectively as copper sulphates than in
the atmospheric leach where mostly Nickel was leached as sulphates.
The temperature in the first compartment is held at 130˚C by continuously flashing slurry
and recycling it back to the autoclave feed tank.
The temperature in the 2nd and 3rd tanks are controlled by a cooling coil system.
To maintain the pressure of the autoclave at 6 barG gas is vented as needed.
To maintain a homogenous solution the autoclave has agitators in each compartment.
In the first three compartments the Copper Pressure Leaching Process takes place.
In the last compartment CPL leach residue is fed together with sulfuric acid (40-50g/L).
The feed density for the last compartment is controlled to be maintained between 1.2-
1.25 kg/l.

2. Thickener and Filter Presses

The output from the CPL compartments in the autoclave is sent to a thickener where
solid-liquid separation can take place. The thickener has a diameter of 5.4 meters and its
operating temperature is around 90˚C. The overflow from the thickener is sent to a series
of filter presses to ensure solid liquid separation and the filter cakes are recycled back to
the thickener. The filtrate from the CPL compartments are then sent towards the Se/Te
removal units before it is forwarded to the Copper Electrowinning.

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Copper Pressure Leach

The underflow from the thickener is sent as feed towards the Polishing Copper Leach as
a final step to remove all base metals to isolate the PGM’s in the remaining solid matte.
The output from compartment 4 is then sent towards another series of filter presses – this
is the final liquid-solid separation step before the remaining dry matte is sent to the
Formic Reduction Leach – whereafter it can be considered a PGM concentrate. The
filtrate from the filter presses is recycled back to the atmospheric leach for reprocessing.
Please note the importance of controlling the conditions of these last filter presses – the
cake must be washed with dilute sulfuric acid to ensure that Copper Hydroxides do not
precipitate out and cause the filter cake to be impure.

3. Process Inputs and Outputs

The main inputs and outputs considered are:

1. the feed to the CPL autoclave, which comes from the Atmospheric Leach thickener
underflow.

2. The sulfuric acid supply for the autoclave.

3. The recycled Copper electrolytes that also enter the pressure leach.

4. The autoclave output streams. Which are the input streams to the thickener and filter
presses.

5. The filtrate going to the Se/Te removal operation as the output filtrate stream from the
Copper Pressure Leach.

6. The dry filter cake going to the formic reduction leach operation.

7. The various recycle streams that feature as inputs and outputs to the two main stages of
this operation – being the autoclave, and the thickener and filter presses.

Jacobus Greeff
XX:xx
Attachment(s)/Enclosure

HXXXXXX-XXXXX-XXX-XXX-XXXX001, Rev.
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© Hatch 2023 All rights reserved, including all rights relating to the use of this document or its contents.