Field Guide / Hydrometallurgy & Mining

Hydrometallurgical Equipment Selection Guide

Heap leach irrigation through SX-EW and dewatering — real, confirmed equipment at every stage of a leach circuit, and the honest gaps this roster doesn't cover.

Six real process stages — irrigation, PLS collection, SX, EW, cyanide destruction, and dewatering, each with a named manufacturer
Four material-selection facts most often gotten wrong — including a CSI MasterFormat number that doesn't actually exist
Honest gaps — filter presses and leach-reactor agitators above 3 HP, stated plainly, not papered over
A complete design-basis checklist for specifying a copper or gold/silver leach circuit
Built for mining EPC estimators, process engineers, and mine-owner procurement teams specifying a leach circuit.

Six Stages, Six Different Equipment Answers

Most equipment vendors treat "mining pump" or "mining valve" as a single generic category. A leach circuit is six distinct chemical and mechanical environments in sequence — heap leach irrigation, PLS collection, solvent extraction, electrowinning, cyanide destruction, and dewatering/tailings — and the right equipment answer changes at every stage. This guide names the real, confirmed manufacturer at each one.

A Failure Mode Most General Guidance Misses

A mining-rated valve's body and its diaphragm can carry completely different chemical ratings. A common mining-valve diaphragm material is rated for sulfuric acid to only 38°C (100°F) — well below what heap leach solution reaches in warm-climate operation, even though the valve body tolerates much higher temperatures. The guide names the manufacturer, the exact rating, and the documented substitute material.

Honest Gaps, Not a Sales Pitch

Filter presses and leach-reactor agitators above 3 HP are real, current gaps in this equipment roster — stated plainly rather than papered over. A false capability claim on a bid response is worse than a missing product line.

This guide reflects vendor-published data current as of September 2026. Chemical compatibility and material ratings should always be confirmed with the manufacturer for your exact concentration, temperature, and duty cycle before final specification.

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Same material above, plus the full design-basis checklist for specifying a copper or gold/silver leach circuit. Enter your work email — it opens immediately.

James Riggins

LibertyCES — Liberty Chemical Equipment & Supply

30+ years in industrial chemical systems, reviewing real process conditions before a part number ever gets recommended.

(559) 395-5500 ·[email protected] ·[email protected] ·libertyces.com