Importance

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Abstract

A method for concurrently transporting and leaching metal values from an ore or concentrate containing said metal values from an originating site such as an elevated site to a delivery site comprising the steps of crushing and/or grinding the ore or concentrate to form a particulate having a size range suitable for transport by gravity or a combination of pumping and gravity as a solid constituent in an aqueous slurry, forming an aqueous slurry of from about 30 to about 70 percent by weight of said particulate in an aqueous medium, and adjusting said aqueous slurry to contain an effective amount of a lixiviant for dissolution of said metal values into the aqueous medium. The aqueous slurry with lixiviant is transported in an elongated pipeline under a static pressure and for a residence time sufficient for dissolution of a substantial portion of the metal values, and the aqueous medium with the metal values is separated from the solids constituent of the slurry by a hydrocone, settling tank, thickener, lagoon, pond or heap, or counter-current decantation or washing circuit for recovery of values therefrom. The ore or concentrate may contain metal oxides, metal sulphides, native metal or a combination thereof, such as for example, a copper oxide concentrate or an ore, and the lixiviant may be sulphuric acid.

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First Claim