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Copper solvent extraction on the African Copperbelt : from historic origins to world-leading status
Approximately 20% of current world copper cathode output is produced using a hydrometallurgical
process route, generally referred to as the leach–solvent extraction–electrowinning flowsheet. Since
its commercialization in the late 1960s, steady improvements in the performance and efficiency
of the solvent-extraction reagents and equipment, combined with significant developments in
leaching and electrowinning, have made an ever-widening range of ore types amenable to this
technology. Following successful implementation on all major continents, a large proportion of
growth in recent years derives from the re-emergence of copper solvent extraction in the Central
African Copperbelt. This review provides a brief history of the development and evolution of
copper solvent extractants and mixer-settler contactors, and the significance of the Copperbelt
region in achieving commercialization and acceptance of the technology. The opportunities and
challenges presented by the abundant high-grade oxide ores of the Copperbelt are contrasted with
the processing of solutions derived from the low-grade mixed oxide–sulfide ore bodies that are
prevalent in other geological regions. The current status of hydrometallurgical copper production
in the African Copperbelt, within a global context, and a medium-term outlook for the technology
are discussed.
Description:
CREDIT AUTHOR STATEMENT : KCS: Investigation, data analysis, writing - original draft preparation; writing - review and editing; OST: Investigation, data
analysis, writing - review and editing
The contents of this paper are based on a Keynote Address given at the International Solvent Extraction Conference ISEC 2022, Sweden, on 30 September 2022 by KCS and a presentation at Copper Cobalt Africa 2023, Zambia, on 13 June 2023 by OST.