ToolFusion
πŸ“‹ Case Study

Copper Mine AMD Treatment & Copper Recovery Plant – Chilean Andes

Persistent acidic drainage (pH < 2.5) containing 120 mg/L Cu, 15 mg/L Co, and elevated As

πŸ—οΈ Project Overview

Large-scale copper mine in the Atacama region with high-sulfide waste dumps

🎯 Challenge

Persistent acidic drainage (pH < 2.5) containing 120 mg/L Cu, 15 mg/L Co, and elevated As

πŸ”§ Design Approach

Two-stage hybrid system: passive limestone drains β†’ active sulfide precipitation + ion exchange polishing

πŸ“ Design Diagram

Copper Mine AMD Treatment & Recovery Plant Chilean Andes β€’ pH < 2.5 | Cu: 120 mg/L | Co: 15 mg/L | As elevated Acidic Drainage Challenge: pH < 2.5, High Cu/Co/As Limestone Drains Alkalinity Req: 18.7 kg CaCO₃/mΒ³ Sulfide Precipitation + Ion Exchange Naβ‚‚S: 1.8 g/g Cu β€’ DGA-10 Resin: Qβ‚‘ = 82 mg REE/g Treated Effluent pH > 6.5 β€’ Cu < 0.5 mg/L Inflow (AMD) CuS Sludge β€’ As/Co Removal Recovered Cu β€’ Polished Effluent

AI-generated project design illustration

πŸ“ Key Calculations

Limestone Neutralization Capacity

Alkalinity Required = [Acidity] Γ— 50/49
Result: 18.7 kg CaCO₃/mΒ³
Ensures pH > 6 before metal removal

Stoichiometric Naβ‚‚S Dosage

Cu²⁺ + S²⁻ β†’ CuS↓
Result: 1.8 g Naβ‚‚S/g Cu
Drives >99.5% Cu removal

REE Loading on DGA-10 Resin

Qβ‚‘ = (Cβ‚€ βˆ’ Cβ‚‘) Γ— V / m
Result: 82 mg REE/g resin
Validated pilot-scale column breakthrough

πŸ“Š Results

99.8% Cu removal; recovered 2.1 t/year Cu and 0.38 t/year Co; reduced long-term liability by $12.4M

πŸ’‘ Lessons Learned

  • β€’Passive pre-treatment extends active system life
  • β€’Real-time Cu monitoring enabled dynamic reagent dosing
  • β€’Co recovery improved economics despite low concentration

βœ… Key Takeaways

  • 1Passive pre-treatment extends active system life
  • 2Real-time Cu monitoring enabled dynamic reagent dosing
  • 3Co recovery improved economics despite low concentration