Lixiviation in Continuous
Reactor or Collumns

Lixiviation in Continuous Reactor
It is in the beginning the same method as the previous one with a difference that this last one is an open system, to which the sollution enters containing the nutrients; being constant the volume of the reactor, the flux can not be such that it dilutes the bacterial population must be considered.

The objective of this type of reactor is to get the maximum conversion of a determined substrat in a product of interest. Consequently it must be necessary that the flux be optimal concerning obtaining the maximum possible of conversion; in other words, the time of residence in the reactor of an element of volume must be such that we can reach that the most part of the reactant be converted in the products that one wishes to obtain.

Lixiviation in Collumns
Frequently one obtains more trustworthy data about the real conditions of lixiviation in pile through tests of lixiviation in column.

To perform these tests, the mineral is placed inside the columns. One column, is generally formed by a PVC tube of an approprite diameter, the lower part of the tube is provided with a perforated plaque of the same material, in such a manner that it works as a support for the loaded mineral and at the same time allows the step to the impregnated sollution, a container is required which must be placed at the lower part of the column. The column will be held by means of bars or by an iron stick, which must be of easy handling for when you wish to eliminate the mineral which has already been lixiviated, remaining then ready for  subsequent test.

The sollution can be recirculated continuously or in intermitent form, through the use of air or a peristaltic pump, this solutions can be discarded after they have reached a concentration of previously fixed cations. This is the only system which allows the use of samples of large granulometry and which simulates in better form the conditions of a pile at a natural scale.