Agglomerator Gold Heap Leaching Equipment 5TPH-200TPH Capacity

Agglomerator for Heap Leaching

1.Product Introduction Gold Ore Processing Equipment

In the heap leaching process, the agglomerator is a critical pre-treatment device. Its primary application is to mix finely ground, low-grade ores (such as copper, gold, and nickel) with binders (such as water, cement, or lime). Through mechanical action, it forms agglomerateswith specific structural strength and porosity, thereby significantly enhancing the efficiency and metal recovery rates of the subsequent leaching process.

2.Application Gold Ore Processing Equipment

Agglomerator for Heap Leaching applications are extensive, primarily covering the following fields:

• Improved Heap Permeability:When finely ground ore is stacked directly, it forms a dense, low-permeability heap that prevents leaching solutions (such as acid or cyanide) from penetrating uniformly, thereby hindering metal dissolution. An agglomerator converts these fines into uniform clusters—typically 5–20mm in diameter—to create a stable pore structure within the heap. This significantly enhances permeability and aeration, ensuring the lixiviant flows evenly throughout the entire ore mass.

• Increased Metal Recovery Rates:By optimizing the internal porosity and mineral phase distribution of the agglomerates, the process exposes more target mineral surfaces to the leaching solution. Research indicates that for complex ores, such as nickel laterite, the leaching kinetics and final recovery rates are substantially superior compared to non-agglomerated ores.
• Dust Suppression and Environmental Impact:Fine ore dust is easily dispersed during transport and stacking, leading to environmental pollution and resource loss. The agglomeration process solidifies dust into larger particles, effectively suppressing airborne dust and improving the overall safety of the working environment.
• Process Automation and Optimized Control:Modern agglomerators can be integrated with real-time analytical technologies (such as the TerraSpec  4 spectrometer) to provide online monitoring of ore composition, moisture content, and acid addition. This enables precision control, which not only optimizes the quality of the agglomerates but also reduces acid consumption and increases metal yield, resulting in significant economic benefits.
• Adaptability to Diverse Ore Types:This technology has been successfully applied to a variety of minerals, including copper, gold, and nickel laterite. Based on the specific physicochemical properties of the ore (such as stickiness or clay content), the process can be optimized by adjusting the agglomerator's rotational speed, inclination angle, feeding method, and binder type.

3.Working Principle Gold Ore Processing Equipment

In the heap leaching process, the primary role of the Agglomerator (also known as a pelletizer or agglomeration drum) is to pre-treat crushed fine-grained ore. It binds these fines into agglomerates with specific mechanical strength and porosity to improve solution permeability and metal recovery efficiency throughout the leaching cycle.

4.Advantages

• Improved Ore Permeability:By aggregating fine or powdered ore into agglomerates with specific strength and porosity, this process significantly enhances the breathability and solution permeability of the heap. This prevents the "clogging" of pores by fine particles, which typically causes channeling or short-circuiting, ensuring a uniform distribution of the lixiviant (leaching solution).

• Increased Metal Recovery Rates:Through agglomeration, ore particles are bound into more cohesive structures, reducing the tendency of fine clay (slimes) to adsorb or encapsulate the leaching solution. This allows leaching agents (such as cyanide or acid) to contact target metal minerals more effectively, thereby boosting the leaching kinetics and overall recovery of metals like gold, copper, and nickel.

• Enhanced Structural Stability of the Heap:Agglomerated ore particles possess superior mechanical strength, which effectively minimizes collapses, slumping, or subsidence caused by rainfall, wind erosion, or gravity during the heap leaching process. This maintains the long-term structural integrity and operational safety of the heap.
• Viability for Low-Grade Ore Processing:For ores with low grades or finely disseminated minerals that are difficult to treat via direct heap leaching, agglomeration serves as a cost-effective pretreatment. It enables the efficient utilization of ores that would otherwise be considered economically unviable.
• Optimized Leaching Kinetics:By controlling the particle size distribution and strength of the agglomerates, the rate and duration of the leaching reaction can be finely tuned. This allows for more precise process control, ultimately reducing reagent consumption and minimizing environmental impact.

5.Technical Specifications

6.Our Solutions