Patent ID: 10544480

Abstract:
The present invention refers to an agglomeration drum and to a procedure for the agglomeration of mineral inside said drum for the pretreatment of minerals, both of them mainly used in hydrometallurgy. Said drum and procedure use a system and a phase of recirculation of gases as part of the invention. Additionally, in the agglomeration procedure the process of chemical reactions occurring inside the agglomeration drum is included. The agglomeration drum, agglomeration procedure and the reactive process allow to obtaining uniform, stable and poorly degradable agglomerates that have a bigger agglomerate-reagent contact surface. The agglomerates or aggregates produced in the agglomeration drum and according to the process of the invention increase the extractive yield of the later leaching process, thus reducing the creation of preferred ways for the leaching solution in the leaching piles. In addition, the drum and procedure of the invention allow preventing the release of gases to the environment, having a gas recirculation system, which by being closed keeps gases inside the agglomeration drum and process. This recirculation of gases not only allows preventing the release of said gases to the environment, but it also reduces the operating costs by using the recirculated gases as part of the agglomeration process.