Science and Production Association “RIVS”, Saint Petersburg, Russia:

B. S. Ivanov, Engineer of Solution Production and Processing Department, Hydrometallurgy Board, тел.: +7 (812) 321-57-05
A. Ya. Boduen, Head of Solution Production and Processing Department, Hydrometallurgy Board

JSC “Uchaly Mining and Metallurgical Combine”, Uchaly, Russia:
Yu. R. Yagudina, Head of Research Laboratory

National Mineral Resources University (University of Mines), Saint Petersburg, Russia:
O. V. Cheremisina, Chief Specialist

Currently, in the world industry of base metals, in progress are efficient combination technologies including hydrometallurgical processes. Autoclaving, one of the main paths in the modern hydrometallurgy, allows various high-rate chemical transformations in water environment due to wide range of temperatures and high concentration of gaseous agents under increased pressure. The article reports the test data on chemical conditioning using autoclave leaching of low grade copper concentrates produced at Uchala and Svyatogor processing plants. The analysis involves feasibility of one-stage autoclave leaching of low grade copper concentrate owing to selective leaching of zinc from copper-zinc concentrates and preproducts. From the test results, it is concluded that the autoclave hydrometallurgy methods enable essential improvement of copper concentrate quality and allow selective separation of copper and zinc in different products owing to difference of their chemical properties. In the long run, considering growing tendency toward copper-zinc ore quality impairment, the autoclave leaching in combination with the mechanical pretreatment may become an indispensable component of efficient and comprehensive copper-zinc ore processing.

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