Project Overview
The Vietnam Ho Chi Minh City Hydrometallurgy & Tailing Pond Project is an integrated copper oxide processing facility located in Binh Duong Province, 30 km north of Ho Chi Minh City. WSHT Mining Group delivered the complete hydrometallurgical plant and engineered tailings storage facility for producing 15,000 TPA LME Grade A copper cathode.
Ore Characteristics
The ore is a copper oxide cap (malachite, azurite, chrysocolla) overlying secondary copper sulfides (chalcocite, covellite). Average grade: 1.5% Cu oxide, 0.8% Cu sulfide. The oxide fraction is amenable to acid leaching with 85% extraction efficiency.
Process Flow
Crushing & Agglomeration: ROM ore (−300 mm) is crushed in two stages to −25 mm, then agglomerated with cement (15 kg/t) and sulfuric acid in a rotary drum. Agglomerated ore is heap-stacked on a 150 m × 100 m lined heap pad.
Acid Leach: Sulfuric acid solution (30-50 g/L H₂SO₄) is irrigulated at 12 L/m²/h. Leach cycle: 120 days. PLS copper concentration reaches 5-8 g/L Cu. Iron contamination is controlled by pH adjustment and jarosite precipitation.
Solvent Extraction: PLS is clarified in a 500 m³ settling tank, then processed through a 3-stage mixer-settler circuit (2× 50 m³ mixers per stage, 400 m² settlers). Organic phase: LIX 984N (25% vol) in ShellSol D230. Strip solution: 50 g/L Cu, 180 g/L H₂SO₄.
Electrowinning: Pregnant strip solution is electrolyzed in 4 cells × 120 cathodes each (480 cathodes total). Current density: 320 A/m². Cathode deposition time: 10 days. Cathodes are stripped, washed, and palletized for LME delivery.
Key Equipment
| Equipment | Specification | Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| PE-900×1200 Jaw Crusher | Primary crushing | 220-450 t/h |
| HP300 Cone Crusher | Secondary crushing | 80-180 t/h |
| Rotary Agglomerator | Φ2.2×8 m, 60 t/h | Ore agglomeration |
| Heap Leach Pad | 150 m × 100 m, HDPE lined | 500 TPD |
| 3-Stage Mixer-Settlers | 2× 50 m³ mixers, 400 m² | Cu extraction |
| 4× EW Cell Banks | 120 cathodes each, 480 total | Cathode production |
| Acid Dosing System | H₂SO₄, 3,000 L/h | Leach solution |
| TSF | 200,000 m³, HDPE lined | Tailings storage |
Project Highlights
- Capacity: 500 TPD ore processing (150,000 TPA)
- Copper Production: 15,000 TPA LME Grade A cathode
- Heap Area: 15,000 m² (expandable to 40,000 m²)
- Acid Consumption: 85 kg/t ore
- Current Efficiency: 98.5% cathode purity
- Power: 4.5 MW connected (3.2 MW average)
- Timeline: 16 months EPC delivery
- Location: Binh Duong Province, Vietnam
