The FLSmidth~R ROL Process: BASF-FLS Pilot Plant Testing

摘要

The copper mining industry faces two significant challenges: 1) economic stress during the transition from oxide to sulfide ores, and 2) high smelting costs and environmental issues in treating arsenic laden concentrates. BASF and FLSmidth are working together to develop and demonstrate alternative hydrometallurgical process technologies to meet these challenges. The development of the FLSmidth ROL process has successfully progressed to continuous, pilot-plant operation with integrated SX/EW utilizing BASF's Captiva SX reagent. The ROL process uses a mechano-chemical leach to overcome passivation by coupling Stirred Media Reactors (SMRt) in series with Continuous Stirred Tank Reactors (CSTR's). The innovative SX reagent functions at high temperatures and low pH's and offers superior copper extraction efficiencies and very high selectivity for copper over iron. The new ROL/SX/EW system is a highly efficient process technology for copper recovery from sulphide concentrates using acidic ferric sulfate lixivants under atmospheric conditions. A pilot plant test of the ROL/SX/EW system yielded 93% copper recovery from chalcopyrite and an exceptionally high Cu/Fe extraction selectivity with iron transfer within the limits of detection once the system reached equilibrium.