Abstract: An integrated pressure leaching, heap leaching process for recovering copper from sulphidic feed containing iron, arsenic, and copper. Aqueous feed slurry of the sulphidic feed is pressure oxidized to form a liquid phase containing free sulphuric acid and aqueous copper sulphate, and to precipitate arsenic as solid iron arsenic compounds. Treated slurry is withdrawn from the pressure vessel and the liquid phase is separated from the solids. Copper is recovered from the separated liquid phase and generates a solution enriched in acid and depleted in copper. At least a portion of this solution is neutralized in a copper heap leach to produce a PLS containing copper and reduced in acid. At least a portion of the heap leach PLS is neutralized to produce a solution further reduced in acid, and solids containing copper precipitates, followed by a liquid solid separation.

Abstract: An integrated pressure leaching, heap leaching process for recovering copper from sulphidic feed containing iron, arsenic, and copper. Aqueous feed slurry of the sulphidic feed is pressure oxidized to form a liquid phase containing free sulphuric acid and aqueous copper sulphate, and to precipitate arsenic as solid iron arsenic compounds. Treated slurry is withdrawn from the pressure vessel and the liquid phase is separated from the solids. Copper is recovered from the separated liquid phase and generates a solution enriched in acid and depleted in copper. At least a portion of this solution is neutralized in a copper heap leach to produce a PLS containing copper and reduced in acid. At least a portion of the heap leach PLS is neutralized to produce a solution further reduced in acid, and solids containing copper precipitates, followed by a liquid solid separation.