Elemental Metallurgy

The methods which can be chosen are the following:

• Lixiviation by percolation in-situ.
• Lixiviation in heap leaches or by amounts.
• Lixiviation in vat or tanks.
• Lixiviation in pulp with agitation.

In the present time, an idea of performing lixiviation by percolation of oxidated minerals of precious metals exists, in heap leaching in the same mining bed, using blankets of plastic for impermeabilizing the surfaces of lixiviation.

The mineral for lixiviation in heap leaching must be oxidated and must have permeability, in other words, both the mineral as well as the heap leaching must be permeable.

It must not contain excessive amounts of fines, clays or lamas which prevent the percolation of the solution; or on the contrary one must try to oppose them aglomerating or using another method, such as separating the fines for pelletizing them.

Lixiviation in heap leaching
If the mineral is the appropriate one, one can basically implement a flat using handwork, equipped and with appropriate technical capacity, principally with resources of the place.

Determining the permeability of a heap leaching in the laboratory is extremely difficult; for this the test in pilot level is imperious ti know the permeability and compacting which is formed at the moment of the mineral being loaded, for which it must be avoided due to the fact that it difficults the percolation.

Besides these considerations, one must take very much into account the following:

a) Mineragraphic investigation;

b) Quantitative chemical analysis;

c) Tests of lixiviation;

d) Verification at a pilot level of the results of the laboratory;

e) Making a decision for taking the lixiviation of the heap leaching at an industrial level.