METHOD OF MINERAL HEAP LEACHING Russian patent published in 2001 - IPC

FIELD: mining industry; heap leaching of minerals, mainly, in formation and leaching of tailings dumps. SUBSTANCE: method includes location of ore bulk on prepared area with system of supply and gathering of solutions, supply of leaching solution, treatment of ore bulk with the help of pressure pulsed source and gathering of productive solution. Prior to pulse treatment, leaching solution is supplied to ore bulk up to its saturation. Pulse treatment is effected by means of vibration equipment whose vibration exciter is placed into ore bulk, or/and with the help of heavy ramming plant producing impact loads onto surface of ore bulk. Treatment is carried out and repeated with intensity ensuring excitation in leaching solution saturating ore bulk of acoustic cavitation sufficient for formation of preset amount of hydrogen peroxide. It is practice to place tailings of ore concentration onto prepared area taken from beach zone of tailings dump, or area prepared within washing plot of multiple flooding-emptying. In this case, beach is formed from tailings continuously maintained in filling plot on prepared area. EFFECT: provision of physico-chemical conditions intensifying leaching process by acoustic cavitation excited by simple sources of pulsed pressure in leaching solutions. 4 cl, 2 dwg