Lixiviants for primary gold and/or copper production

Abstract

These days, when a s k e d “ W h a t exactly does a metallurgical engineer do?” the answer can range anywhere from mineral processing to chemical processing to material science. The answer you give is usually dependant on what area of the world you are in, which industry you are currently employed in, and where and in what decade you attended college. Put three metallurgists in a room together and pose the question “What does a metallurgical engineer do?” and you may fi nd yourself in the midst of a disturbance similar to any discussion between a geologist, miner, and metallurgical engineer. It is the strength and broadranging skill-set of the metallurgical engineer that makes applying a defi nition diffi cult. When addressing aqueous processing, it is the same broad-ranging applicability of the universal solvent coupled with its varied hydraulic application that makes applying a constraining defi nition problematic. Ask, “What exactly is aqueous processing?” and the answer may come from a wide range of possibilities, again depending on what area of the world you are in, which industry currently employs you, and where and in what decade you attended college. When asked to represent the Aqueous Processing Committee in assisting with this issue of JOM, my hope was to provide a range of topics within the area of aqueous processing, thus providing the readership with material that may be of primary interest as well as new information. Having said that, the information provided does tend to center around primary gold and copper production, touching Lixiviants for Primary Gold and/or Copper Production