SX-EW Bleed

Do you have a small mining operation and want to get into production fast? Do you want to demonstrate production capacity now and generate capital for rapid expansion? Modular technology packages designed and manufactured by emew are ideally suited to small scale mining and capital sensitive projects such as:

• Copper oxide ores
• Complex, polymetallic ores
• High grade silver and silver/gold ores

The modular nature and low minimum economic investment let you get into production quickly to start generating revenue while also ensuring seamless expansion down the road.

The green energy revolution is also putting increased demand on raw materials used in Lithium-Ion batteries such as Cobalt and Nickel. Meanwhile, end users of these green products are also demanding that the metals and raw materials used to manufacture them are ethically produced, traceable and have low carbon footprints. Sustainable sources of Nickel and Cobalt even command a premium price over conventionally produced metals, and Lithium-Ion battery recycling will help meet the demand well into the future.

Process optimization is key for project growth and generating more value for shareholders. Rapid expansion and seamless integration into existing operations is essential. Modular emew systems offer rapid expansion capabilities, process flexibility and timely payback to realize maximum growth from existing operations. Our engineers work with your project team to seamlessly tie-in expansion modules to minimize downtime and get your expanded operation generating more revenue as quickly as possible.

Heap leaching is used around the world to recover copper from low-grade oxide deposits.  As with any hydrometallurgical process, there is an intrinsic need to bleed a portion of electrolyte for impurity control.  

In the case of SX-EW operations, this bleed often deports to the raffinate pond which negatively affects the leach efficiency in the heap. According to Fick’s Law, this practice negatively affects leaching performance due to the increased cationic load and decreased diffusional flux. By recovering copper cathode directly from the bleed stream using emew prior to sending it on to the raffinate pond, the following benefits can be realized:

• Up to 10% improvement in copper recovery from the heap
• 15-30% reduction in copper tenors in the raffinate
• Lower fresh acid consumption
• Reduced working capital
• Increased copper cathode production

Recovering high-grade saleable copper cathode from SX-EW bleed streams using emew electrowinning decreases copper tenors returning to the heap, enhances leach efficiency and improves overall copper recovery from the heap. 

Additionally, as the heap nears the end of its life, recovering the most copper units is critical to ensure profitability and successful decommissioning. The unique emew electrowinning technology enables recovery of more soluble copper units from spent heap leach ores than any other electrowinning technology.