Abstract

The use of copper today is such that it has been estimated that world consumption per capita
has reached 6 kg per year (assuming a population of 6.000 million people), you must also keep
in mind that it is the third metal most used by man, after iron and aluminum.
In search of hydrometallurgical processes for the extraction of copper from concentrates and
ores, is mainly due to environmental pollution caused by pyrometallurgical processes.
Chloride leaching has several advantages for hydrometallurgical processes, with respect to
sulfate systems: in supporting high metal solubility, enhanced redox behavior and increase
rates of leaching. In a chloride system, both Cuprous and cupric ions are stabilized through
complexation with chloride ions. Another advantage is a minimization of sulfate formation and
the formation of predominately elemental sulfur that remains in the leach residue.
This project involves the production of refined copper cathodes, by applying technology
solvent extraction of copper from chloride solution, to ensure the production of 400 tonnes of
copper cathode Grade A (99.99% purity).
The financial evaluation ended up in a NPV of 4.699.960 Euros, considering that the projects
working with minerals with grades equals or above 6.4 % of Cu.