Project number
26017
Organization
Freeport McMoRan
Offering
ENGR498-F2025-S2026
The test leach column size will be 2 feet tall and 4 inches in diameter
The column will be filled with copper ore crushed to ½” (provided)
The ore will be leached with a lightly acidic (raffinate) solution (provided)
o Instrumental analysis of the leach feed raffinate solution will include pH and ORP.
o The pump that feeds the leach solution onto the ore must be calibrated to make sure it is delivering the correct volume. The calibration must be checked weekly by automation.
o Pump data calibration data must be fed to a database or data recorder.
o If a pump is out of calibration, an alarm or warning must be transmitted to the responsible Engineer.
The solution collected after leaching (the PLS – pregnant leach solution) will be collected in a vessel of your design
o The volume and weight of the solution being collected must be recorded and the density calculated.
o The discharge solution must be analyzed instrumentally for pH and ORP.
o The team will recommend sensors for other measurements of interest – including dissolved oxygen.
o These measurements must be collected at least every 4 hours and the results must be transmitted to a data collection system or device.
o If at any time the discharge solution has a greater volume than the feed solution, an alarm or warning must be transmitted.
o A sample of solution from the collection vessel should automatically be transferred to a bottle that will be sent to the analytical lab.
One of the major variables that impacts and improves leach recovery is the presence of oxygen. The team will evaluate the methods used to add air to leach stockpiles and design an improved aeration system using computer simulation to show operability.
Leach solutions are purified and concentrated by means of a solvent extraction process. The team will take leach solutions and perform aqueous to organic transfer of the copper ions.
o The team will design a method of separating organic and aqueous phases that can be scaled up to an operational capacity of 20,000 gallons per minute.
o The design should minimize footprint and capital cost.
The column will be filled with copper ore crushed to ½” (provided)
The ore will be leached with a lightly acidic (raffinate) solution (provided)
o Instrumental analysis of the leach feed raffinate solution will include pH and ORP.
o The pump that feeds the leach solution onto the ore must be calibrated to make sure it is delivering the correct volume. The calibration must be checked weekly by automation.
o Pump data calibration data must be fed to a database or data recorder.
o If a pump is out of calibration, an alarm or warning must be transmitted to the responsible Engineer.
The solution collected after leaching (the PLS – pregnant leach solution) will be collected in a vessel of your design
o The volume and weight of the solution being collected must be recorded and the density calculated.
o The discharge solution must be analyzed instrumentally for pH and ORP.
o The team will recommend sensors for other measurements of interest – including dissolved oxygen.
o These measurements must be collected at least every 4 hours and the results must be transmitted to a data collection system or device.
o If at any time the discharge solution has a greater volume than the feed solution, an alarm or warning must be transmitted.
o A sample of solution from the collection vessel should automatically be transferred to a bottle that will be sent to the analytical lab.
One of the major variables that impacts and improves leach recovery is the presence of oxygen. The team will evaluate the methods used to add air to leach stockpiles and design an improved aeration system using computer simulation to show operability.
Leach solutions are purified and concentrated by means of a solvent extraction process. The team will take leach solutions and perform aqueous to organic transfer of the copper ions.
o The team will design a method of separating organic and aqueous phases that can be scaled up to an operational capacity of 20,000 gallons per minute.
o The design should minimize footprint and capital cost.