Considerations about Determination of the Residence Time of the Pulp in the Industrial Leaching of the Caron Process at Punta Gorda Plant, Cuba

Abstract

In the present experimental work it was obtained, on a Production Demonstration Unit (UDP) of leaching commercial plant, an exponential statistical mathematical model with a distribution coefficient (R2= 0,9998), characterized by the equation TR = 13297. Q -0,999; min to determine
the real residence time (TR) of the pulp in the miniseries of first stage of the leaching plant (IraEL) in “Punta Gorda”, as a function of the pulp flow (Qpulpa) that is feeded to each miniserie of turbo-aereator (TA)  inside the range of values of (105 at 282) m3/h, that makes valid, also, the effectiveness of the modification to the methodology of processing of the
experimental results, obtained when using the Na 2CO3  like tracer, based on the method of successive approaches that facilitates to determine the TR under the peculiar industrial conditions of the ammonia - carbonate leaching of lateritic reduced ores, in whose process, the useful volume of the miniseries diminishes with the operation time. This premise will  allow to optimize in future works at commercial scale, the specific velocity of the air  (Qa, m3/(t·min))and its corresponding: specific volumes of air (Va, m3/t) and volumetric air flows (Ga, m3/h) in each TA with the economic purpose of increasing those leached of Ni and Co in the IraEL.