ChlorideChloride hydrometallurgyHydrometallurgy has been internationally established as offering faster and cheaper extractionExtraction of copperCopper and other metalsMetal from mineral ores, concentratesConcentrate and tailings than any sulphate-based hydrometallurgy approachHydrometallurgy. However, efficient recoveryRecovery from the chlorideChloride liquor has proven elusive. The HalionHalion Loop™ process leverages proven leachingLeaching technologyTechnology to achieve economically competitive high levels of extractionExtraction of target metalsMetal at atmospheric pressure and <100 °C, using air as its primary reagent. The process is based on the use of mixed halidesHalide: chlorideChloride and bromide. It adds more recent innovations to expand the capabilities of both metalsMetal extractionExtraction and recoveryRecovery. Loop HydrometallurgyHydrometallurgy has ‘closed the loop’ for an effective and continuous process cycle via the invention of the breakthrough HalionHalion™ electrowinningElectrowinning cell. This is the first copper recoveryCopper recovery technologyTechnology for the effective and practical recoveryRecovery of dendritic copperCopper from the cuprous state. Unlike conventional electrowinningElectrowinning, which requires removal and strippingStripping of cathodesCathode every 2–3 days, the HalionHalion™ cell is designed to operate 24/7 for up to 12 months continuously. Requiring only one electron per copperCopper atom, this new designDesign could reduce power consumption of electrowinningElectrowinning by up to 70%. Since 2023, Loop HydrometallurgyHydrometallurgy has been significantly expanding the effective range of source materials. It has shown that the HalionHalion Loop™ can viably process coarse, low-gradeGrade, polymetallicPolymetallic and/or arsenic contaminatedArsenic resources, including direct ore processingProcessing. Leveraging the massive savings that Halion Loop™ enhanced processing can offer by reducingReducing millMill operationsOperation, multiple studies have shown that miners can produce high purity copperCopper metalMetal at site for less than the currentCurrent cost of producing conventional smelterSmelter-gradeGrade concentrateConcentrate. This paper will report results from studies expanding the range of project feedstocks that can be economically and effectively processed: coarse rougher concentratesConcentrate, low-gradeGrade bulk polymetallicPolymetallic concentratesConcentrate, high gradeGrade copper oresCopper ore and more.

The Halion Loop™—Expanding the Applications of Halide Hydrometallurgy

会议论文
发表日期：

2025年

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Dave Sammut

摘要

ChlorideChloride hydrometallurgyHydrometallurgy has been internationally established as offering faster and cheaper extractionExtraction of copperCopper and other metalsMetal from mineral ores, concentratesConcentrate and tailings than any sulphate-based hydrometallurgy approachHydrometallurgy. However, efficient recoveryRecovery from the chlorideChloride liquor has proven elusive. The HalionHalion Loop™ process leverages proven leachingLeaching technologyTechnology to achieve economically competitive high levels of extractionExtraction of target metalsMetal at atmospheric pressure and <100 °C, using air as its primary reagent. The process is based on the use of mixed halidesHalide: chlorideChloride and bromide. It adds more recent innovations to expand the capabilities of both metalsMetal extractionExtraction and recoveryRecovery. Loop HydrometallurgyHydrometallurgy has ‘closed the loop’ for an effective and continuous process cycle via the invention of the breakthrough HalionHalion™ electrowinningElectrowinning cell. This is the first copper recoveryCopper recovery technologyTechnology for the effective and practical recoveryRecovery of dendritic copperCopper from the cuprous state. Unlike conventional electrowinningElectrowinning, which requires removal and strippingStripping of cathodesCathode every 2–3 days, the HalionHalion™ cell is designed to operate 24/7 for up to 12 months continuously. Requiring only one electron per copperCopper atom, this new designDesign could reduce power consumption of electrowinningElectrowinning by up to 70%. Since 2023, Loop HydrometallurgyHydrometallurgy has been significantly expanding the effective range of source materials. It has shown that the HalionHalion Loop™ can viably process coarse, low-gradeGrade, polymetallicPolymetallic and/or arsenic contaminatedArsenic resources, including direct ore processingProcessing. Leveraging the massive savings that Halion Loop™ enhanced processing can offer by reducingReducing millMill operationsOperation, multiple studies have shown that miners can produce high purity copperCopper metalMetal at site for less than the currentCurrent cost of producing conventional smelterSmelter-gradeGrade concentrateConcentrate. This paper will report results from studies expanding the range of project feedstocks that can be economically and effectively processed: coarse rougher concentratesConcentrate, low-gradeGrade bulk polymetallicPolymetallic concentratesConcentrate, high gradeGrade copper oresCopper ore and more.