ABSTRACT
The mining industry has traditionally been relatively slow in adopting new technologies; most companies choosing to be fast-followers instead of first-adopters. Given the inherent risks associated with most mining projects this strategy is easily justified. However, a few forward-thinking companies have paved the way for the commercialization of ‘enabling technologies’ and their widespread adoption by others. Companies like Phelps Dodge, with their development of pressure leaching technology (Carter 2003), and BHP Billiton and Codelco, with their Alliance Copper JV biohydrometallurgical BioCop™ process (Dreisinger 2006), are leading the field in development and application of new technologies for the treatment of chalcopyrite concentrates. Others too have recognized the limitations of existing pyrometallurgical techniques and have engaged in process development of alternative treatment processes (Dreisinger 2006). However, if the value chain of copper production is examined (Fig. 3.1) from mine to metal it is evident that the concentrator adds a significant cost both as capital and operating charges. Perhaps, the mining industry needs to look further back the chain for the true value
capture and think about processes that remove the need for concentration. This obviously reduces the number of available process routes to those capable of treating whole ore economically, and likely reduces the selection to a single choice, heap leaching. This further implies that thermophilic bioleaching must be employed, as chalcopyrite does not react sufficiently with other chemical or biological regimes (Hackl et al. 1995, Tshilombo and Dixon 2003).
