Copper Cathode

The copper production process using the leaching method is carried out as follows:
First, after crushing and sizing, the ore is stacked in layers on the heap pad. Then, a sulfuric acid solution with a controlled concentration is sprayed over the surface of the heap. As it passes through the rock particles, it dissolves the copper. The resulting enriched solution, known as PLS, is collected at the bottom of the heap and transferred to the solvent extraction unit.
In the SX section, copper is separated from the solution by an organic solvent, and impurities are removed. The purified electrolyte solution (ELS) is then sent to the electrowinning cells.
In the EW stage, an electric current causes the copper to deposit onto stainless-steel cathode plates. The produced copper sheets are then removed, washed, and packaged.
Finally, the end product is copper cathode with a purity of 99.99% (LME Grade A).