Developments in organic holding tank structure for solvent extraction processes

-SX Retrofit: Case Chuquicamata Train A

SAIMM 2009 South Africa, February 2009

Hannu Laitala

4/23/20092

Hannu Laitala

General

• Organic first fill is 20 – 30 % of the total solvent extraction plan investment cost.

• 25 – 35 % of the total organic phase is in the organic tank.

• Usually organic tank is only a simple pump tank for the organic pumps. Organic tank is 5 – 10 % of the total solvent extraction plant investment cost.

• 10 – 15 % of the total solvent extraction plant investment cost is used for a pump tank for the organic pums.

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Hannu Laitala

Example: SX plant 2E+EP+LOT+1W+1S

LOT

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Hannu Laitala

How to put your organic phase to work • Remove the physical impurity entrainment in the organic tank (1).

• Increase SX process washing capacity (2).

• Main purpose to enhance the impurity bulk removal.

• Can be easily retrofitted to an existing SX plant.

Loaded Organic from extracion

Washed LO to washing or stripping

Wash Water Water to raffinate pond or last extraction stage

12

Organic feed Coalescing fences

Organic discharge

Aqueous circulation Aqueous bleed

Inspection openings

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Hannu Laitala

Mixer-Settler unit with organic tank dynamic volume

• Combined LO tank with full physical and chemical impurity washing capacity of a separate washing stage.

• Modification can be implemented to any mixer-settler stage.

• Implementing this unit to a SX process reduces the SX plant total investment cost from 10 to 20 %.

• Will be taken into service in Chile year 2009 (Franke, Centenario Copper).

Loaded Organic from extracion

1st

Mixer

Washed LO to washing or stripping

Wash Water Water to raffinate pond or last extraction stage

2nd

MixerDOPUnit

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Hannu Laitala

Impurity removal vs. EW bleed

LOBO

Conventional Organic Tank, No Separation, No WashingIncoming Organic 1 000 m

3/h Separated Aqueous Entrainment

A/O Entrainment from SX 1000 ppm Wash WaterCl Concentration in Aqueous 10 000 ppmElectrolyte Cl Max. Conc. 30 ppm Used Wash Water

Electrolyte Bleed 333 m3/hLE

Outotec Organic Tank, Separation, No Washing REIncoming Organic 1 000 m3 /hA/O Entrainment from SX 1000 ppmCl Concentration in Aqueous 10 000 ppm Make-Up BleedElectrolyte Cl Max. Conc. 30 ppm H2O

H2SO4

Electrolyte Bleed 83 m3/h CoSO4

Outotec Organic Tank, Separation and WashingIncoming Organic Flow 1 000 m3 /hA/O Entrainment from SX 1000 ppmCl Concentration in Aqueous 10 000 ppmElectrolyte Cl Max. Conc. 30 ppm

Electrolyte Bleed 8.3 m3/h

LO Tank + SX Stripping

EW

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Hannu Laitala

SX retrofits

• In SX retrofit old SX plant equipment internals are modificated so, that plant capacity is improved considerably.

• Cheaper solution than building totally new plant.

• Requires first class engineering.

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Hannu Laitala

Case Cuquicamata Planta Oxidos, Train A

• Plant is very old. Taken into service 1985.

• PLS flow was 1 100 m3/h with very high aqueous entrainments (> 1 000 ppm).

• Codelco wanted PLS flow to be increased to 1 500 m3/h (nominal) and 1 750 m3/h (design).

• Whole retrofit should be done stage by stage without production shutdown.

• All configuration possibilities should be possible.

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Hannu Laitala

Case Cuquicamata Planta Oxidos, Train A

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Hannu Laitala

Case Cuquicamata Planta Oxidos, Train A

• New PLS flows 1 500 and 1 750 m3/h / ok

• Retrofit done stage by stage without production shut-down / ok

• All configuration possibilities should be possible / ok(2E+2S, 2E+1S, 1E+2S, 1E+1S, 2E+1EP+1S, 1E+1EP+2S, 1E+1EP+1S, 1E+2EP+1S)

• O/A entrainment over 50 % below guarantee value / ok

• A/O entrainment over 85 % below guarantee value / ok

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Hannu Laitala

Case Cuquicamata Planta Oxidos, Train A

4/23/200912

Hannu Laitala

Cuquicamata Planta Oxidos, Train A

4/23/200913

Hannu Laitala

Thank YouThank YouCobre Las Cruces Cu SX (PLS 45 g/L Cu, 72 000 t/a)

Motor and Gearbox for Cobre Las Cruces Leaching Reactor (500 kW with VSD)