A dynamic CIP/CIL process simulation using MATLAB SIMULINK

Abstract

ABSTRACT Carbon-in-pulp (CIP) technology is firmly entrenched in the mining sector due to numerous advances in the last few decades. CIP technology recovers complexed gold in solution from slurry streams by contacting the pulp with carbon and separating the two by screening. The carbon-in-leach (CIL) process, where the pulp contains free cyanide, is closely related to CIP. Both these processes, especially CIL, are complex and are governed by a number of interacting unit processes. The overall process efficiency is dependant on a large number of variables, making the process difficult to optimize. This study uses simple adsorption and leaching rate equations in order to predict dynamic CIL/CIP plant performance under varying operating conditions. This will assist plant metallurgists to achieve optimum efficiency, highlight plant sensitivity to certain variables and will ultimately result in proactive process control. Various assumptions were made in order to keep the modeling considerations as simple and realistic as possible. The process was assumed to have linear kinetic and equilibrium operation. The process was simulated using Simulink in Matlab. Variables are solved on a time step basis by Matlab’s built in optimization algorithms. Simulation results illustrated that the use of simple leaching and adsorption rate expressions are effective for investigating dynamic plant behavior under changing operating conditions.