THE COPPERBELT UNIVERSITY

SCHOOL OF MINES AND MINERAL SCIENCES

SOLWEZI SATELLITE CAMPUS
Course: DMT 251 Date: 29th October 2021
Exercise Two Duration: 11l2 hrs (17:30 – 19:00 hrs)
INSTRUCTIONS:
Answer all questions
Write Clearly and Show All Your Calculations
Send Scanned Answers to leonardkabondo@gmail.com ONLY

Question One

1) Define the following terms. [5 marks]

i) Heap Leaching (ii) Pregnant Leach Solution (iii) Counter Current Decantation (iv) Sedimentation (v) Flocculation

2) During leaching, the ore must be ground to a size that exposes the desired mineral to the leaching agent. However,
during vat leaching, the ore is literally coarser. Explain how efficient mineral recovery is achieved in this process even
with insufficient valuable mineral liberation. [3 marks]

3) State the circumstances that can prompt an investor to subject an ore mineral to an in-situ leaching method. [2 marks]
4) What are the advantages of using drip irrigation over sprinklers during heap leaching? [3 marks]

5) Explain the influence of ore size, retention time, slurry density and number of tanks on extraction efficiency during
leaching. [4 marks]

6) While it is evident that bioleaching offers several advantages, such as ability to economically process run-of-mine low
grade sulphide ore and ability to process ores that may not be feasible to be smelted for environmental reasons, it is
safe to say that bioleaching will not completely replace smelting. Why? [3 marks]

7) Explain why metals like iron cannot entirely be extracted commercially by hydrometallurgical processes. [3 marks]
8) State conditions that necessitates the treatment of sulphide minerals through hydrometallurgical processes. [2 marks]
9) Give atleast three reasons why batch leaching is preferred over continuous leaching during laboratory tests of a
particular ore mineral prior to setting up a production plant. [3 marks]
10) List atleast two (02) applications of solid-liquid separation in the mining industry. [2 marks]
11) Illustratively discuss the three-flocculation mechanisms applied in settling solids in a thickener. [2,2,2 marks]
12) Explain the influence of charge density and molecular weight on the performance of flocculants in the settling rate of
particles. [2,2 marks]

END

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