Alfa Laval turns the heat way up at Zaldivar
At 3,300 meters above sea level in northern Chile, Barrick Zaldivar overlooks 1,240-hectares of copper openpit, heap-leach mines. Alfa Laval plate heat exchangers have been contributing to their operations with smooth, stable and efficient heat recovery for many years.
DATE 2025-12-17十多年来，Zaldivar 一直在使用阿法拉伐板式换热器来回收铜提取过程中电解沉积步骤中的热量。安装简单明了，而且相对简单，从那时起，换热器一直稳定、高效且易于维护。
这些装置易于安装，因为与管壳式换热器不同，不需要建造特殊的基础。它们包括一个框架和支撑脚架。
Fast facts about Barrick Zaldivar
Zaldívar is an open-pit, heap-leach copper mine in northern Chile owned by the Barrick mining company.
- In 2007, Zaldívar produced 315 million pounds of copper at total cash costs of US$ 0.70 per pound.
- Pure cathode copper is produced by three stages of crushing and stacking of ore, followed by heap leaching and bacterial activity to remove the copper from the ore into the solution.
- The electrowinning plant has been modified to produce 331 million pounds (150,000 tonnes) of cathode copper per year. That’s 20% more than the original design capacity.
Customer's voice
The units are very reliable. They have been operating without any major problems since 1994.
Roberto Villalobos
Maintenance manager
Fast facts about the solution
Sixteen Alfa Laval Plate heat exchangers are used in four production lines at Barrick Zaldivar.
- The counter-current flow and corrugated design of the plates create strong turbulence that allows for 48 megawatts of heat recovery.
- Higher turbulence means that there is less fouling and scaling, and thus less need for cleaning.
- The plates hang on a carrying bar and are supported by a guiding bar, making the unit easy to open for maintenance.
产品
阿法拉伐提供种类齐全的传统类型的板式换热器，在板之间设有垫圈。