Hidrometalurgia del Cobre - Mina Radomiro

Summary

Radomiro Tomic, one of the largest copper producers in the world, operates in northern Chile's El Loa province. The facility utilizes cutting-edge technologies and high-performance teams to produce high-purity copper cathodes. Through processes such as primary, secondary, and tertiary crushing, lixiviation, solvent extraction, and electro deposition, Radomiro Tomic maximizes copper recovery with minimal environmental impact. The plant is renowned for its scale, boasting the world's largest crushing and lixiviation systems. The final product, with 99.99% purity, is packed and shipped globally, contributing to the global supply of copper.

Takeaways

• 😀 Radomiro Tomic is a key division of Codelco, one of the world's largest copper producers, located in northern Chile at 3,000 meters above sea level.
• 😀 The plant's high-tech processes and skilled workforce enable the production of world-class copper cathodes, with an annual production capacity of over 300,000 tons.
• 😀 The copper extraction process starts with advanced technologies for mineral exploration, development, and extraction, followed by crushing and reducing ore size.
• 😀 The ore is transported to dynamic leaching piles where it is treated with sulfuric acid solution, initiating the copper leaching process.
• 😀 Leached copper minerals dissolve into a solution called Pregnant Leach Solution (PLS), which is then transported to large storage ponds for further processing.
• 😀 The PLS is subjected to solvent extraction, a process that purifies and concentrates the copper before it undergoes electro deposition.
• 😀 The electro-winning (electro-refining) process is carried out in the world's largest electro-refining plant, where copper is deposited onto cathodes with 99.99% purity.
• 😀 Radomiro Tomic's operations are powered by clean technologies that ensure minimal environmental impact, with no atmospheric emissions from the copper extraction process.
• 😀 The plant's solvent extraction process uses a closed-loop system, raising the copper concentration in the solution for efficient extraction.
• 😀 The final copper cathodes are cleaned, tested for purity, and packaged for shipment to global markets, with strict traceability and quality assurance in place.

Q & A

What is Radomiro Tomic and why is it significant in the copper industry?

Radomiro Tomic is one of the most important divisions of Codelco, the National Copper Corporation of Chile, and one of the largest copper producers in the world. It is significant because it operates the largest copper processing plant in the world with a production capacity of over 300,000 tons of copper cathodes annually.

Where is the Radomiro Tomic plant located?

The Radomiro Tomic plant is located in Casada, approximately 40 kilometers north of Calama, in the Loa Province, Chile, at an altitude of 3,000 meters above sea level.

What makes Radomiro Tomic's mining processes unique?

Radomiro Tomic's processes are unique due to its large-scale and technologically advanced mining operations, including the world's largest crushing, leaching, and electroextraction systems. The plant also employs environmentally clean technologies with no atmospheric emissions.

How does the crushing process work at Radomiro Tomic?

The crushing process begins with primary crushing, where the ore is reduced to less than 10 inches, followed by secondary and tertiary crushing steps, where the ore size is further reduced to 4 inches and 1 inch, respectively. This process is done using a series of conveyors and crushers.

What is lixiviation and how is it carried out at Radomiro Tomic?

Lixiviation is the process of dissolving copper minerals from ore using a sulfuric acid solution. At Radomiro Tomic, the ore is placed in dynamic leach piles, where it is irrigated with an acid solution. Over 75 days, the copper is dissolved into the solution, called PLS (Pregnant Leach Solution).

What is the role of sulfuric acid in the lixiviation process?

Sulfuric acid is used in lixiviation to dissolve copper minerals from the ore. The acid solution, combined with water, breaks down the copper-bearing minerals and creates a liquid solution containing copper, known as PLS.

How is the Pregnant Leach Solution (PLS) handled after lixiviation?

After lixiviation, the PLS is drained by gravity into collection pipes and then directed to settling ponds to remove solids. The PLS is stored in these ponds before being sent to the solvent extraction process for further purification and concentration.

What is solvent extraction and how does it work in copper processing?

Solvent extraction is a method used to purify the PLS and concentrate the copper. In this process, the copper-rich PLS is mixed with an organic phase that selectively binds to the copper. This copper-laden organic phase is then treated with an aqueous solution containing sulfuric acid to transfer the copper into a new solution suitable for electro-deposition.

What happens during electro-deposition at Radomiro Tomic?

In electro-deposition, copper is recovered from the solution by passing it through electrochemical cells. Copper ions are deposited onto cathodes, while oxygen is released at the anodes. This process takes place in the world's largest electro-deposition facility, where the copper is refined to 99.99% purity.

How is the final copper product handled after electro-deposition?

Once the copper reaches the desired purity, the cathodes are removed and transported by crane to the washing and quality control area. The copper is then corrugated to enhance heat transfer capacity for future smelting. The copper cathodes are packed into 2.5-ton bundles, each labeled for traceability, and shipped to the port of Mejillones for global distribution.