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Heap Leach Irrigation & Recovery Calculator engineering
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Heap Leach Irrigation & Recovery Calculator

Hydrometallurgy & extraction: Calculate cyanide/acid irrigation flow, kinetic metal extraction curves, reagent inventory, and pregnant leach solution (PLS) tenor.

Heap Pad & Operational Parameters

Dry run-of-mine or crushed ore
Active drip emitter/wobbler area
Standard: 6–12 L/h/m²
Total primary leach duration
Feed metal grade
Asymptotic recovery cap
First-order dissolution rate
Cyanide (NaCN) for Au or Sulfuric acid (H₂SO₄) for Cu

Leach Hydrodynamics & Metal Production

Solution Flow Rate (PLS)
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Cycle Metal Recovery
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Total Extracted Metal
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Average PLS Tenor / Grade
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Average pregnant solution grade
Liquid-to-Solid Ratio (L/S)
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m³ solution per tonne ore
Reagent Consumption
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Total required chemical inventory

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is a typical irrigation rate for gold heap leaching?

Typical industrial irrigation rates for gold cyanide heap leaching range between 6 and 12 L/m²/h (0.002 to 0.005 gpm/ft²). Lower rates are used for fine or agglomerated ores to prevent ponding and slope instability, while higher rates may be used for coarse run-of-mine dump leaching.

How does the asymptotic recovery model predict heap leach performance?

Heap leaching follows first-order diffusion-limited kinetics described by R(t) = R_inf * (1 - exp(-k * t)). Early metal dissolution is rapid as exposed surface grains react with cyanide or acid, transitioning into slow intra-particle pore diffusion that asymptotically approaches the maximum liberation recovery limit.

What determines the pregnant leach solution (PLS) tenor?

The PLS tenor (solute concentration in mg/L or ppm) is a mass balance quotient of the rate of metal dissolution divided by the volumetric solution flow rate. High irrigation fluxes yield larger total solution volumes at lower tenors, impacting adsorption efficiency in downstream carbon-in-column (CIC) or solvent extraction (SX) plants.