WATCH: Applications of Hydrometallurgy
A complex testing service that our metallurgical laboratory in Truro, Cornwall offers is hydrometallurgy.
Defined as “the use of aqueous chemistry for the recovery of metals from ores, concentrates and recycled or residual materials”, hydrometallurgy can be used both as a primary and secondary method of processing an ore to recover the metals of value and is likely to become an increasingly important part of future processing flowsheets as deposits continue to reduce in grade and become more challenging to process.
One of the most common applications of hydrometallurgy within the mining industry is the recovery of gold (and silver) using solutions containing sodium cyanide, although the technology can also be used for the extraction of a range of other commodities including lithium, copper, nickel, and cobalt.
The video below, that was taken in our laboratory, showcases some of the testing solutions that we can offer our clients to develop a sustainable processing solution, including agitated leach testing for CIL/CIP design, coarse ore bottle roll testing for heap leach amenability, and acid leaching.
If you’d like to see how we can assist in optimising a hydrometallurgical processing solution for your project, get in touch.
