Liner Systems in Chilean Copper and Gold Heap Leaching

ICG 5 - 1994 Singapore
1994
M. E. Smith, P. M. Welkner
Singapore
IGS Conferences
barrier, filter, Geomembrane, Leakage, liners, management, properties, waste disposal

Chile is the world’s largest copper producer and is becoming a major gold producer. In 1993 the heap leach mines used 3 million square meters of geomembrane. The authors summarize the liner systems used at many of Chile’s major copper and gold heap leach producers – both operating and planned. The evolution in the state of the art is also discussed, considering both economic factors and Chile’s burgeoning environmentalism.