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Hydrometallurgy

Leach Reagent Consumption Calculator

Reagent consumption on a leach or process circuit is driven by how much dry solids you treat and the reagent dosage applied per tonne of those solids. This calculator estimates the reagent consumption rate (kg/h), the daily consumption (kg/day and t/day), and an optional daily reagent cost, working straight from the dry solids throughput and a dosage in kg/t. It is a preliminary consumption estimate only — the dosage must come from metallurgical testwork, plant data, or engineering judgement. It does NOT predict leach recovery, optimise the dose, or model reaction kinetics or solution chemistry.

TypeInteractive engineering calculator

Calculator

t/h

dry solids basis

kg/t

kg reagent per tonne dry solids — from testwork or plant data

h/day

0–24 h/day

Optional

$/kg

for daily cost estimate

Result
Reagent consumption rate250 kg/h
Daily reagent consumption6000 kg/day
Daily reagent consumption6 t/day
Daily reagent cost7200 $/day
  • !Preliminary consumption estimate only — the dosage must come from metallurgical testwork, plant data, or engineering judgement. This does NOT predict leach recovery or optimise the dose.

Formulas

Reagent consumption rate
ṁ_reagent = ṁ_solids × dosage
Daily reagent consumption
m_day = ṁ_reagent × hours_per_day
Daily reagent (t/day)
m_day,t = m_day / 1000
Daily reagent cost
cost_day = m_day × unit_cost

Diagram

Reagent consumption = dry solids throughput × dosagesolids t/h× doseleachkg/tkg/hkg/dayreagent = solids × dosageconsumption estimate — not recovery

Worked example

A circuit treats 100 t/h dry solids at a reagent dosage of 2.5 kg/t, operating 24 h/day, with a reagent unit cost of 1.20 $/kg.

  1. 01Reagent consumption rate: 100 × 2.5 = 250 kg/h
  2. 02Daily reagent consumption: 250 × 24 = 6000 kg/day
  3. 03Daily reagent (t/day): 6000 / 1000 = 6.0 t/day
  4. 04Daily reagent cost: 6000 × 1.20 = 7200 $/day
Result

Reagent rate 250 kg/h, daily reagent 6000 kg/day (6.0 t/day), daily cost 7200 $/day.

FAQ

Does this calculator predict leach recovery?
No. It estimates how much reagent is consumed for a given dosage and throughput. The dosage is an input you supply from testwork or plant data — recovery is a separate metallurgical question that depends on kinetics, chemistry, and ore behaviour.
Where should the dosage (kg/t) come from?
From metallurgical testwork, plant operating data, or engineering judgement. The dose is not something this tool optimises; it is the input that drives the consumption estimate.
Why is consumption tied to dry solids throughput?
Because reagent dosage is expressed per tonne of dry solids. Multiplying the dose by the dry solids rate gives the consumption rate; multiplying by operating hours gives the daily consumption.
Is the daily cost a budget figure?
It is a first-pass indication only. It uses a single unit cost and the estimated consumption; real reagent budgets include delivery, purity, losses, inventory, and price variation.

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