Question

Copper ores rich in ultra-soluble sulfate minerals are leached using water. Finely grounded
solid copper ore with 1000 kg/h, contains 20% CuSO4 (copper sulfate) and 70 % insoluble
solids (Feed, F). The rest 10 % is contaminants and ignore their existence in your calculations.
(Take only copper sulfate (solute) and solid content of the Feed.) The leaching occurs in a twostage, counter-current system using 3000 kg/h of water as pure solvent. The ratio of kg insoluble
solid to kg solution retained is 1.0 in the sludge of the underflow and remains constant
throughout both stages. Assuming ideal stages:
a) Draw a schematic flow sheet of the leaching process, labeling all the currents and their
compositions.
Calculate
b) the amounts of the overflow and underflow slurry leaving all stages,
c) the compositions of the overflow and underflow slurry leaving all stages,
d) the % recovery of the solute (copper sulfate) in the final extract.
e) Considering the case that water amount used for the leaching and washing of the copper
sulfate from the copper ore was reduced to 1500 kg/h, what would be the results of the
reduction of the solvent amount? Discuss profoundly, without calculating the values of the
leaching process.