A procedure is proposed for the extrapolation of laboratory column leaching kinetics for commercial heap leaching design. It employs previously published models based on dual-porosity hydrology and chemical reactions occurring during diffusion via the regions holding immobile solution. Case studies were analysed for which both the column leaching and heap leaching performance had been recorded on acid-soluble copper, sulphide-copper and gold ores. Theoretical relationships were developed for the manner in which bulk density and dripper spacing were expected to affect the diffusional path length via the immobile solution of the column/heap. The resulting correlations were fitted to the case study data by means of a single empirical constant, p, to which an average value of 4.5 (a dimensionless value) could be assigned. The magnitude of p suggests that densification, i.e. compaction of the ore particle bed, results in a slight increase in the spacing of solution flow channels but a large increase of the tortuosity of diffusion pathways. In the case of narrow dripper spacing, the decrease in leaching kinetics upon scale-up can be attributed to the increase in bulk density. The proposed method identifies the maximum dripper spacing that can be used before the width of the dripper spacing has a stronger effect on the diffusional path length than the increase in bulk density. The effect of dripper spacing on the asymptotic extractions (extrapolated to time infinity) of the case studies was quantified. Confidence in the reliability of the method can be further improved if more case study data can be accessed.

提出了用于工业堆浸设计的实验室柱浸出动力学外推的程序。它使用先前发布的模型，该模型基于通过保持固定溶液的区域扩散过程中发生的双孔隙水文学和化学反应。分析了案例研究，其中记录了酸溶性铜，硫化铜和金矿石的柱浸和堆浸性能。建立了理论上的关系，通过这种方式可以预期堆积密度和滴头间距通过色谱柱/堆的固定溶液影响扩散路径的长度。所得的相关性通过单个经验常数p拟合到案例研究数据。，可以为其分配平均值4.5（无量纲值）。p的大小这表明，致密化，即矿石颗粒床的压实，导致溶液流动通道的间距略有增加，但扩散路径的曲折度却大大增加。在较窄的滴头间距的情况下，按比例放大时浸出动力学的下降可归因于堆积密度的增加。所提出的方法确定了最大滴头间距，该间距可以在滴头间距的宽度对扩散路径长度产生比堆积密度增加更大的影响之前使用。量化了滴头间距对案例研究的渐进提取（外推到时间无限）的影响。如果可以访问更多案例研究数据，则可以进一步提高该方法的可靠性。