Copper Ore Heap Leaching Equipment List

Copper heap leaching is a beneficiation process where low-grade copper ore is piled up in a designated area, and copper is leached from the ore using a leaching agent, typically dilute sulfuric acid. This process is applicable for oxidized copper ores and certain sulfide copper ores. The complete set of copper heap leaching equipment primarily includes crushing, screening, conveying, stacking, and other related machinery.

copper ore heap leaching stacking conveyors

Crushing Equipment

a. Jaw Crusher

The mobile jaw crusher is widely used for primary copper ore crushing. Its function is to crush large copper ore chunks into smaller particles for further processing. Our mobile crusher has a crushing capacity of up to 570 tons per hour. We provide suitable models based on the copper ore's properties, crushing capacity, energy consumption, and desired output size.

b. Cone Crusher

The mobile cone crusher is commonly used for secondary crushing in copper ore processing. It further reduces the size of the copper ore after the primary crushing stage, which enhances grinding efficiency and reduces energy consumption during grinding. The cone crusher is an ideal secondary crushing equipment for copper ore. Our mobile cone crusher can handle up to 500 tons per hour.

Screening Equipment

The crushed ore is screened and classified into different particle sizes, making it easier for subsequent heap leaching. When selecting screening equipment, factors such as screening accuracy, capacity, and wear resistance should be considered.

mobile bridge belt conveyor for heap leaching

Conveyor Systems

Belt conveyors are used as efficient bulk material handling equipment in copper beneficiation, mainly for transporting raw ore and connecting ore processing equipment. Our mobile conveyors are particularly suitable for material transfer in mobile copper crushing systems.

Stacking Equipment

We offer various types of stacker conveyors to meet different copper ore stacking requirements. For example, our TMC series mobile conveyor can be combined with coarse crushing mobile crushers, while our radial telescopic stackers can work with fine crushing mobile stations. Stackers enhance the stacking capacity of heap sites.

When processing low-grade copper ore, the radial stacker's role is to build the heap leach piles. The radial stackers must work with grasshopper conveyors and mobile bridge conveyors. Grasshopper conveyors are used for copper ore transport, and mobile bridge conveyors feed the stackers.

grasshopper conveyor for heap leaching

Heap Leaching Equipment

• Heap Leach Pad: A specially designed impermeable leach pad, usually lined with a waterproof membrane to prevent leach solution from seeping into groundwater.
• Sprinkler System: Used to spray the leach solution (typically dilute sulfuric acid) onto the ore heap, ensuring the solution uniformly covers the surface of the ore.

Leach Solution Collection and Circulation Equipment

• Leach Solution Collection Pond: Collects the copper-containing leach solution (pregnant solution) that seeps from the ore heap.
• Circulation Pump: Pumps the collected pregnant solution back to the heap, allowing for repeated use.
• Solution Piping: Connects the leach solution spraying, collection, and circulation systems.

Solvent Extraction and Electrowinning Equipment

• Solvent Extraction Equipment (SX): Separates copper from other impurities in the pregnant solution using an organic solvent extraction process.
• Electrowinning Cells (EW): Extracts high-purity copper from the enriched copper solution via electrolysis.

Storage and Environmental Protection Equipment

• Tailings Pond: Stores waste liquid or tailings from the heap leaching process, ensuring environmental compliance.
• Wastewater Treatment System: Treats wastewater generated during production to ensure it meets discharge standards or is reused.

Auxiliary Equipment  

• Solution Reagent System: Controls and adds the chemical reagents, such as sulfuric acid, required during the leaching process.
• Monitoring System: Monitors parameters such as solution flow, pH levels, and copper concentration during the heap leaching process to ensure normal operation.

The complete set of copper ore beneficiation equipment includes a variety of different types of machinery that make up the basic process of copper heap leaching. The selection and configuration of these machines are adjusted and optimized according to the ore's characteristics, scale, and specific heap leaching process. When selecting equipment, multiple factors need to be considered to ensure that the selected equipment meets production demands, enhances efficiency, and improves product quality.