Heap leaching

Industrial mining process used to extract precious metals from ore

Heap leaching is an industrial mining process used to extract precious metals, copper, uranium, and other compounds from ore using a series of chemical reactions that absorb specific minerals and re separate them after their division from other earth materials. Similar to in situ mining, heap leach mining differs in that it places ore on a liner, then adds the chemicals via drip systems to the ore, whereas in situ mining lacks these liners and pulls pregnant solution up to obtain the minerals. Heap leaching is widely used in modern large scale mining operations as it produces the desired concentrates at a lower cost compared to conventional processing methods such as flotation, agitation, and vat leaching. Additionally, dump leaching is an essential part of most copper mining operations and determines the quality grade of the produced material along with other factors

Due to the profitability that the dump leaching has on the mining process, i. e. it can contribute substantially to the economic viability of the mining process, it is advantageous to include the results of the leaching operation in the economic overall project evaluation. The process has ancient origins; one of the classical methods for the manufacture of copperas (iron sulfate) was to heap up iron pyrite and collect the leachate from the heap, which was then boiled with iron to produce iron(II) sulfate.

The method is similar to the cyanide method above, except sulfuric acid is used to dissolve copper from its ores. The acid is recycled from the solvent extraction circuit (see solvent extraction electrowinning, SX/EW) and reused on the leach pad. A byproduct is iron(II) sulfate, jarosite, which is produced as a byproduct of leaching pyrite, and sometimes even the same sulfuric acid that is needed for the process. Both oxide and sulfide ores can be leached, though the leach cycles are much different and sulfide leaching requires a bacterial, or bio leach, component. In 2011 leaching, both heap leaching and in situ leaching, produced 3.4 million metric tons of copper, 22 percent of world production. The largest copper heap leach operations are in Chile, Peru, and the southwestern United States. Although heap leaching is a low cost process, it normally has recovery rates of 60 70%. It is normally most profitable with low grade ores. Higher grade ores are usually put through more complex milling processes where higher recoveries justify the extra cost. The process chosen depends on the properties of the ore. The final product is cathode copper.

This method is an acid heap leaching method like that of the copper method in that it utilises sulfuric acid instead of cyanide solution to dissolve the target minerals from crushed ore. The amount of sulfuric acid required is much higher than for copper ores, as high as 1,000 kg of acid per tonne of ore, but 500 kg is more common. The method was originally patented by Australian miner BHP and is being commercialized by Cerro Matoso in Colombia, a wholly owned subsidiary of BHP; Vale in Brazil; and European Nickel for the rock laterite deposits of Turkey, Talvivaara mine in Finland, the Balkans, and the Philippines. There currently are no operating commercial scale nickel laterite heap leach operations, but there is a sulphide HL operating in Finland. Nickel recovery from the leach solutions is much more complex than for copper and requires various stages of iron and magnesium removal, and the process produces both leached ore residue ("ripios") and chemical precipitates from the recovery plant (principally iron oxide residues, magnesium sulfate and calcium sulfate) in roughly equal proportions. Thus, a unique feature of nickel heap leaching is the need for a tailings disposal area. The final product can be nickel hydroxide precipitates (NHP) or mixed metal hydroxide precipitates (MHP), which are then subject to conventional smelting to produce metallic nickel.

Similar to copper oxide heap leaching, also using dilute sulfuric acid. Rio Tinto is commercializing this technology in Namibia and Australia; the French nuclear fuel company Orano, in Niger with two mines and Namibia; and several other companies are studying its feasibility. The final product is yellowcake and requires significant further processing to produce fuel grade feed.

While most mining companies have shifted from a previously accepted sprinkler method to the percolation of slowly dripping choice chemicals including cyanide or sulfuric acid closer to the actual ore bed, heap leach pads have not changed too much throughout the years. There are still four main categories of pads: conventional, dump leach, valley fills, and on/off pads. Typically, each pad only has a single, geomembrane liner for each pad, with a minimum thickness of 1.5mm, usually thicker. The conventional pads simplest in design are used for mostly flat or gentle areas and hold thinner layers of crushed ore. Dump leach pads hold more ore and can usually handle a less flat terrain. Valley fills are pads situated at valley bottoms or levels that can hold everything falling into it. On/off pads involve putting significantly larger loads on the pads and removing and reloading it after every cycle. Many of these mines which previously had digging depths of about 15 meters are digging deeper than ever before to mine materials, approximately 50 meters, sometimes more, which means that, in order to accommodate all of the ground being displaced, pads will have to hold higher weights from more crushed ore being contained in a smaller area (Lupo 2010). With that increase in build up comes in potential for decrease in yield or ore quality, as well as potential either weak spots in the lining or areas of increased pressure buildup. This build up still has the potential to lead to punctures in the liner. As of 2004 cushion fabrics, which could reduce potential punctures and their leaking, were still being debated due to their tendency to increase risks if too much weight on too large a surface was placed on the cushioning (Thiel and Smith 2004). In addition, some liners, depending on their composition, may react with salts in the soil as well as acid from the chemical leaching to affect the successfulness of the liner. This can be amplified over time.

Heap leach mining works well for large volumes of low grade ores, as reduced metallurgical treatment (comminution) of the ore is required in order to extract an equivalent amount of minerals when compared to milling. The significantly reduced processing costs are offset by the reduced yield of usually approximately 60 70%. The amount of overall environmental impact caused by heap leaching is often lower than more traditional techniques. It also requires less energy consumption to use this method, which many consider to be an environmental alternative.

In the United States, the General Mining Law of 1872 gave rights to explore and mine on public domain land; the original law did not require post mining reclamation (Woody et al. 2011). Mined land reclamation requirements on federal land depended on state requirements until the passage of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act in 1976. Currently, mining on federal land must have a government approved mining and reclamation plan before mining can start. Reclamation bonds are required. Mining on either federal, state, or private land is subject to the requirements of the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act. One solution proposed to reclamation problems is the privatization of the land to be mined (Woody et al. 2011).

With the rise of the environmentalist movement has also come an increased appreciation for social justice, and mining has showed similar trends lately. Societies located near potential mining sites are at increased risk to be subjected to injustices as their environment is affected by the changes made to mined lands—either public or private—that could eventually lead to problems in social structure, identity, and physical health (Franks 2009). Many have argued that by cycling mine power through local citizens, this disagreement can be alleviated, since both interest groups would have shared and equal voice and understanding in future goals. However, it is often difficult to match corporate mining interests with local social interests, and money is often a deciding factor in the successes of any disagreements. If communities are able to feel like they have a valid understanding and power in issues concerning their local environment and society, they are more likely to tolerate and encourage the positive benefits that come with mining, as well as more effectively promote alternative methods to heap leach mining using their intimate knowledge of the local geography (Franks 2009).