Evaluation of one-dimensionalin situ leaching processes

A methodology to characterizing processes of in situ leaching is developed to investigate various parameters that may affect the recovery of a valuable mineral and assure a successful application of the in situ leaching technology. The governing equations of in situ leaching processes for the one-dimensional case are solved both analytically and numerically for both the consumption rate of a lixiviant and the production rate of a target mineral. A numerical simulator, which is developed to evaluate coupled effects among leaching kinetics, solution flow and transport of the dissolved mineral species in saturated ore deposits, is validated against the steady-state solutions and applied to investigate the transient effects of various parameters on the mineral recovery. Results from the evaluation indicate that there exists an optimal flow velocity range of leach solution for the effective leaching of a particular ore deposit. The determination of this optimal leaching velocity may become a key to the design of a real in situ leach mine. Results of the parameter sensitivity study illustrate the relative importance of other parameters such as porosity, ore grade, and reaction rate. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.