Solvent Extraction & Electrowinning (SX-EW) Equipment
The SX and EW stages of a copper leach circuit need different equipment than the leach pad — metering pumps for the organic extractant, valves rated for aggressive aqueous/organic chemistry, and circulation equipment for the electrolyte loop.
30+ years spec experience. Send James the process data and get a real answer — not a catalog page.
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Solvent Extraction (SX)
Organic extractant selectively strips the target metal (typically copper) from the pregnant leach solution (PLS), producing a loaded organic phase and a barren raffinate that returns to the heap. ProMinent names this stage directly on its own dedicated Solvent Extraction application page — "long-lasting materials which also withstand aggressive chemicals" is the vendor's own framing for the metering-pump requirement here.
Electrowinning (EW)
Electrolytic deposition of pure metal cathode from the loaded electrolyte stripped out of the organic phase. ProMinent names "Electrolytic Metal Extraction" as one of its five real hydrometallurgical processes, stating systems are supplied "fully ready mounted and are installed in no time." Richter Chemie-Technik separately names "Electrolysis processes" among its Mining & Ore served industries.
Real, Named Product Lines
Named specifically on ProMinent's SX application page: "automatically adapts to your metering task and also responds to fluctuating back pressure" — relevant where extractant flow varies with organic-phase loading.
"Always delivers the right output" per ProMinent, rated 17-1,030 l/h — the higher-capacity metering option for larger SX circuits.
Richter's own Industries page names "leaching reactions, electrolysis processes" and "acid and lye recycling" as served applications — a sealless mag-drive architecture is relevant where electrolyte or raffinate leakage at a shaft seal is not an acceptable risk.
Three Valve Types, Three Different Jobs
Asahi names this specifically for SX-EW service on its mining/hydromet materials guidance.
Named for SX-EW alongside the Type-21 ball valve — diaphragm valves are relevant where positive shutoff with no dead-leg is required in the extractant or electrolyte piping.
Third valve type Asahi names specifically for the SX-EW application, for throttling/flow-control duty rather than isolation.
Honest limit: neither ProMinent's mining page nor its SX application page publishes a specific concentration or temperature threshold for the extractant or electrolyte itself. Material selection for the specific organic chemistry in use still needs to be confirmed against that extractant's own compatibility data, and against LibertyCES's existing sulfuric-acid material rules wherever residual acid is present in the raffinate or PLS.
Frequently Asked Questions
What equipment does a solvent extraction and electrowinning (SX-EW) circuit need?
SX needs metering pumps for the organic extractant (ProMinent's Delta solenoid-driven and Sigma motor-driven lines are named specifically for this application) plus ball, diaphragm, and globe valves rated for aggressive organic/aqueous chemistry (Asahi/America's Type-21, Type-14, and globe lines). EW needs circulation and dosing equipment for the electrolyte loop — ProMinent names electrowinning as one of five real hydrometallurgical processes it serves, and Richter's lined sealless mag-drive pumps are relevant where electrolyte leakage at a shaft seal isn't acceptable.
What temperature or concentration limits apply to SX-EW equipment?
Neither ProMinent's mining page nor its SX application page publishes a specific concentration or temperature threshold for the extractant or electrolyte itself — the vendor's language is general ("withstand even the most aggressive of chemicals"). Material selection still has to come from the specific organic extractant's own compatibility data and from LibertyCES's existing sulfuric-acid material rules where the raffinate or PLS carries residual acid. Don't assume a general "aggressive chemical" claim substitutes for a concentration-specific material check.
Is a sealless mag-drive pump necessary for electrowinning circulation?
Not automatically — it depends on the consequence of a leak at that specific point in the circuit. Richter names electrolysis processes among its served industries with lined sealless mag-drive pumps rated -60°C to +200°C, which is the right architecture where electrolyte leakage is a real safety or environmental concern. A lower-consequence circulation point may not need sealless construction.
How is peristaltic/hose pump technology different from the pump technology used for SX-EW metering?
They solve different problems. Peristaltic (hose) pumps — Graco SoloTech, ProMinent DULCOFLEX — wet only the hose and are the correct architecture for abrasive, solids-bearing leach streams upstream (heap leach solution, tailings). SX-EW metering duty is typically a clean, solids-free organic or electrolyte stream, where diaphragm or plunger metering pumps (ProMinent Delta/Sigma, or the ORLITA lines) are the applicable technology instead. See LibertyCES's mining pump technology selection guide for the full slurry/reagent/corrosive-duty decision framework.
Specifying an SX-EW circuit?
Send James the extractant/electrolyte chemistry, concentration, flow, and leak-consequence requirements — we'll confirm the real equipment fit before you spec a model.
Ready to buy or need a fast answer? Call, text, or email James directly — (559) 395-5500 · [email protected].