7.2 Equipment types and selection

Leaching and washing equipment play crucial roles in separating valuable components from mixtures. From percolation tanks to centrifuges, each type serves specific purposes in industries like mining and food processing.

Selecting the right equipment involves considering process requirements, material properties, and economic factors. Safety and environmental concerns also influence choices, ensuring efficient and responsible separation processes.

Equipment Types for Leaching and Washing

Types of leaching equipment

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• Percolation tanks facilitate stationary solid-liquid extraction allowing solvent to seep through solid bed (ore processing)
• Agitated vessels employ mechanical stirrers ensuring continuous solid-solvent mixing enhancing mass transfer (sugar extraction from beets)
• Countercurrent extractors utilize multi-stage systems moving solids and solvent in opposite directions maximizing extraction efficiency (vegetable oil extraction)
• Rotating drum extractors promote mixing through cylindrical vessel rotation ideal for continuous operation (coffee bean extraction)
• Pachuca tanks use air injection for agitation in tall cylindrical tanks with conical bottoms suitable for slurry handling (gold cyanidation)

Construction of washing equipment

• Thickeners separate solids from liquids via gravity settling in circular tanks with slow-moving rakes concentrating solids in underflow (mineral processing)
• Filters
  • Plate and frame filters stack alternating plates and frames using pressure to force liquid through filter media ideal for batch operations (wine clarification)
  • Rotary vacuum filters employ cylindrical drums covered with filter cloth for continuous vacuum-assisted filtration (dewatering of mineral concentrates)
• Centrifuges
  • Basket centrifuges utilize perforated baskets rotating at high speed separating solids from liquids using centrifugal force (sugar crystallization)
  • Decanter centrifuges feature horizontal cylindrical bowls with internal screw conveyors for continuous solid-liquid separation (wastewater treatment sludge dewatering)

Equipment suitability for applications

• Leaching applications
  • Percolation tanks suit coarse materials with slow dissolution rates (metal recovery from ores)
  • Agitated vessels excel for fine particles and rapid extraction processes (pharmaceutical active ingredient extraction)
  • Countercurrent extractors achieve high recovery of valuable solutes efficiently (rare earth element extraction)
• Washing applications
  • Thickeners handle large-scale solid-liquid separation effectively (coal slurry dewatering)
  • Filters provide high-efficiency solid-liquid separation for various industries (beverage clarification)
  • Centrifuges enable rapid separation and dewatering in compact footprints (biomass recovery in fermentation processes)
• Factors influencing suitability include particle size distribution, solubility of target compounds, required production capacity, and desired separation efficiency

Factors in equipment selection

• Process requirements encompass throughput capacity, separation efficiency, operation mode (batch vs continuous), and operating conditions (temperature, pressure)
• Material properties influence selection based on particle size and shape, solubility of target compounds, liquid viscosity, and material abrasiveness or corrosiveness
• Economic considerations involve capital costs, operating expenses (energy, labor, maintenance), equipment lifespan, reliability, and space constraints
• Environmental factors include waste generation, disposal methods, emissions control, and regulatory compliance measures
• Safety considerations address handling of hazardous materials and operator exposure risks (chemical leaching processes)
• Flexibility and scalability account for varying feed compositions and potential future capacity expansion needs