Metal leaching expediency evaluation

The article proposes an evaluation procedure of feasibility and expediency of metal leaching in underground ore mining. The values of parameters of metal leaching from lowgrade and uneconomic ore are determined. It is shown that a leaching technology is governed by variable factors which are adjustable per mining stages. A leaching flow chart is proposed for metals contained in low-grade sulfide ore. It is determined that the optimum scenario is underground arrangement of a processing facility with finishing of processes on ground surface, and a scheme of in-situ block leaching of lead and zinc with their consecutive extraction from a joint solution is offered. The commercial-scale zinc leaching results achieved at a mineral deposit in the North Caucasus are described. A suitability estimation procedure is proposed for metals of substandard content in ore. The efficiency criterion is put forward for integrating conventional and recent leaching technologies. The conclusion is drawn that the proposed technology enables real-time correlation of engineering and economic parameters under certain mining and leaching conditions. The recommendations are applicable in upgrading of mining and processing facilities at mines in operation and being built, and in specialist training.

Golik V. I. Metal leaching expediency evaluation. MIAB. Mining Inf. Anal. Bull. 2024;(11):101-110. [In Russ]. DOI: 10.25018/0236_1493_2024_11_0_101.

V.I. Golik, Dr. Sci. (Eng.), Professor, Professor, Moscow Polytechnic University, 107023, Moscow, Russia, e-mail: v.i.golik@mail.ru, ORCID ID: 0000-0002-1181-8452, Elibrary: 497371, Scopus: 6602135324, Researcher ID: U-9000-2019.

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