Hydrometallurgical plant at a mine site with leach and thickener tanks, conveyors and ore stockpiles

Mining and Mineral Processing

PFA-Lined Valves for Mining and Hydrometallurgical Operations

Corrosion-Resistant Flow Control for Acid Leaching, Solvent Extraction, and Metal Recovery

Hydrometallurgical mining operations extract valuable metals through chemical processes that subject equipment to severe corrosion. Concentrated sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid, organic extractants, and metal-laden solutions destroy conventional valve materials within weeks—creating safety hazards, environmental risks, and costly production downtime.

GFT9 PFA-lined valves provide the chemical resistance essential for reliable operation in acid leaching circuits, solvent extraction plants, and electrowinning facilities. GFT9 PFA-lined valves are built for the liquors of acid leaching, solvent extraction and electrowinning in copper, nickel, cobalt and zinc operations.

Manufactured in Germany and tested to DIN EN 12266-1, GFT9 valves are built for duties where valve reliability affects production.

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Why PFA

Why Hydrometallurgical Operations Require PFA-Lined Equipment

Metal extraction through hydrometallurgical processes combines multiple corrosion challenges that exceed the capability of standard valve materials.

The Hydrometallurgical Environment:

Acid leaching uses concentrated mineral acids—typically sulfuric acid at 50-200 g/L, or hydrochloric acid—to dissolve target metals from ore. These solutions attack stainless steel, corrode carbon steel rapidly, and degrade most polymers.

Solvent extraction employs organic extractants (such as LIX, Cyanex, or Versatic acid) mixed with hydrocarbon diluents. These organic phases dissolve elastomer seals and attack many plastics.

Metal-laden solutions contain dissolved copper, nickel, cobalt, or zinc sulfates in acidic matrices—combining corrosion with the potential for scaling and deposition.

Why PFA Excels in Mining Applications:

PFA (Perfluoroalkoxy Alkane) provides exceptional resistance across the full spectrum of hydrometallurgical chemicals:

• Resistant to sulfuric acid at leaching concentrations
• Resistant to hydrochloric and nitric acids
• Resistant to organic extractants and hydrocarbon diluents
• Handles metal sulfate solutions without degradation
• Smooth, non-porous surface reduces scale accumulation
• Temperature capability up to +200 °C (ball, ball check and butterfly valves) or +150 °C (swing check valves, strainers, sight glasses, sample valves) — see each product — suits atmospheric leaching circuits

Important Temperature Note:

GFT9 PFA-lined valves are rated up to +200 °C (ball, ball check and butterfly valves) or +150 °C (swing check valves, strainers, sight glasses, sample valves) — see each product. For high-pressure acid leaching (HPAL) autoclaves operating at 225-250°C, titanium alloys are typically specified. Our valves serve the feed preparation, cooling, and downstream processing stages where temperatures remain within PFA operating limits.

Applications

Applications in Mining and Mineral Processing

Hydrometallurgical operations span multiple unit processes, each requiring corrosion-resistant flow control. GFT9 products serve critical functions throughout these circuits.

Atmospheric Acid Leaching

Heap leach and agitated leach operations dissolve metals using sulfuric acid at temperatures from ambient to 100°C. PFA-lined valves handle pregnant leach solution (PLS) transfer, acid dosing, and raffinate return lines. The inert PFA surface limits contamination that affects downstream metal recovery.

→ Spheron9 ball valve, DN 15 – 200 · up to 16 bar · up to +200 °C · Vibron9 swing check valve, DN 40 – 400 · up to 16 bar · up to +150 °C · Purion9 T-strainer, DN 25 – 150 · PN 16 · up to +150 °C · Papilon9 butterfly valve, DN 40 – 600 · 10 bar to DN 450, 6 bar DN 500 – 600 · up to +200 °C

Solvent Extraction (SX)

Mixer-settler or column extraction systems separate and concentrate target metals using organic extractants. PFA-lined valves are used in both aqueous and organic phases:
• Loaded organic transfer between stages
• Aqueous raffinate routing
• Settler outlet isolation
• Strip solution handling

The smooth PFA surface reduces extractant buildup that reduces valve performance and contaminates process streams.

→ Spheron9 ball valve, DN 15 – 200 · up to 16 bar · up to +200 °C · Vibron9 swing check valve, DN 40 – 400 · up to 16 bar · up to +150 °C · Purion9 T-strainer, DN 25 – 150 · PN 16 · up to +150 °C · Videron9 sight glass, DN 15 – 250 · 16 bar · up to +150 °C

Electrowinning

Electrowinning circuits recover pure metals from concentrated solutions. PFA-lined valves control electrolyte flow to cathode cells, handling hot acidic solutions containing dissolved metal sulfates. Chemical resistance limits the corrosion that would introduce impurities into the metal product.

→ Spheron9 ball valve, DN 15 – 200 · up to 16 bar · up to +200 °C · Purion9 T-strainer, DN 25 – 150 · PN 16 · up to +150 °C · Provaron9 sample valve, DN 25 – 80 · up to 16 bar · up to +150 °C

Reagent Dosing Systems

Precise chemical dosing controls leaching efficiency, pH adjustment, and impurity removal throughout the process. PFA-lined valves handle:
• Concentrated acid addition
• Lime slurry for neutralization (fine solids only — diaphragm valve)
• Flocculant injection
• Oxidant dosing (hydrogen peroxide, oxygen)

→ Spheron9 ball valve, DN 15 – 200 · up to 16 bar · up to +200 °C · Purion9 T-strainer, DN 25 – 150 · PN 16 · up to +150 °C · Prohibron9 ball check valve, DN 15 – 200 · up to 10 bar · up to +200 °C · Imperium9 control valve, DN 15 – 100 · up to 16 bar · up to +180 °C · Membron9 diaphragm valve, DN 15 – 150 · pressure per size, see P-T diagram

Tailings Treatment

Environmental compliance requires neutralization and treatment of acidic tailings before discharge. PFA-lined valves serve lime dosing, pH control, and treated effluent systems where reliability prevents environmental incidents.

→ Spheron9 ball valve, DN 15 – 200 · up to 16 bar · up to +200 °C · Imperium9 control valve, DN 15 – 100 · up to 16 bar · up to +180 °C · Membron9 diaphragm valve, DN 15 – 150 · pressure per size, see P-T diagram

Chemical resistance

Typical media and PFA resistance

MediumFormulaConcentrationMax. temp.Rating
Sulfuric AcidH₂SO₄Up to 98%120 °C Excellent
Hydrochloric AcidHClUp to 37%120 °C Excellent
Nitric AcidHNO₃Up to 70%80 °C Excellent
Copper Sulfate SolutionCuSO₄Saturated100 °C Excellent
Nickel Sulfate SolutionNiSO₄Saturated100 °C Excellent
Sodium HydroxideNaOHUp to 50%120 °C Excellent

PFA provides excellent resistance to organic extractants including LIX, Cyanex, and Versatic acid series. Where flammable organics are handled, specify conductive PFA/AS linings. Contact us for specific extractant formulations. For further media see the PFA chemical resistance guide. Temperature limits shown are conservative for continuous service; the valve's own limit is its P-T rating. Contact us for your media and conditions.

Excellent full resistance, continuous service · Good suitable for most applications · Limited check the conditions with us. Ratings refer to the PFA lining; the valve's own pressure–temperature rating also applies.

Products

PFA-Lined Products for Mining Applications

PFA-Lined Ball Valves — Spheron9

PFA-Lined Ball Valves — Spheron9

Full-bore isolation with a one-piece PFA-lined ball-stem and two-stage blow-out protection; manual or actuated.

DN 15 – DN 200 / NPS ½" – 8" · up to 16 bar · −10 °C (1.0619) or −60 °C (1.4408 / 1.4409) up to +200 °C, see P-T diagram · TA-Luft leakage class BH (DN 10 – DN 150, certified −20 °C to +180 °C) · actuator mounting to EN ISO 5211.

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PFA-Lined Swing Check Valves — Vibron9

PFA-Lined Swing Check Valves — Vibron9

Swing check valves with PFA-lined body and disc against backflow on pump discharges and transfer lines.

DN 40 – DN 400 / NPS 1½" – 16" · up to 16 bar · −40 °C up to +150 °C · face-to-face EN 558-1 series 20.

View Swing Check Valve Range →
PFA-Lined T-Strainers — Purion9

PFA-Lined T-Strainers — Purion9

T-strainers with PFA-lined body and removable PTFE basket protect pumps, control valves and instruments.

DN 25 – DN 150 / NPS 1" – 6" · PN 16 · −10 °C up to +150 °C · ETFE mesh 85 – 2000 µm.

View Strainer Range →
PFA-Lined Sight Glasses — Videron9

PFA-Lined Sight Glasses — Videron9

Visual control of flow, colour and level in lined lines; a fluoropolymer liner between glass and medium on request.

DN 15 – DN 250 / NPS ½" – 10" · 16 bar · −10 °C up to +150 °C.

View Sight Glass Range →

Quality

Quality Assurance and Documentation

  • Every valve is tested before delivery to DIN EN 12266-1.
  • EN 10204 3.1 material certificates with heat numbers.
  • Pressure-bearing products designed and manufactured to PED 2014/68/EU; the Spheron9 ball valve additionally certified under Module A2 with notified body 0035 and type-tested to TA-Luft leakage class BH (DN 10 – DN 150, certified −20 °C to +180 °C).
  • Made in Germany · country of origin Germany.

FAQ

Questions we are often asked

Can lined valves handle leach slurries?

They suit clear liquors — pregnant leach solution, raffinate, electrolyte and acid dosing. Slurries with coarse solids erode any soft lining; for those duties a different valve design is the better choice, and we will tell you so.

PFA or PTFE lining — what is the difference?

Both are fully fluorinated plastics with almost universal chemical resistance. PTFE cannot be melted, so PTFE liners are pressed and sintered. PFA can be melted, so we transfer-mould it into the valve body: the lining is dense, anchored in the body and follows complex shapes. If your specification says "PTFE-lined", a PFA-lined valve meets the same chemical duty — ask us for a comparison for your medium.

Which documents come with the valves?

Every valve is tested to DIN EN 12266-1 and ships with EN 10204 3.1 material certificates. Pressure-bearing products are designed and manufactured to PED 2014/68/EU; the Spheron9 ball valve is additionally certified under Module A2 and type-tested to TA-Luft.

Which PFA-lined valve goes where in a leaching circuit?

Liquor and acid isolation: Spheron9 ball valve, DN 15 – 200. Pump discharges: Vibron9 swing check, DN 40 – 400, or Prohibron9 ball check, DN 15 – 200. Large lines: Papilon9 butterfly valve, DN 40 – 600. Dosing: Imperium9, DN 15 – 100.

Discuss Your Mining Project Requirements

Whether you're specifying equipment for a new hydrometallurgical facility, upgrading existing acid circuits, or sourcing replacement valves for maintenance, our technical team supports your project.

We work with:
• Mining companies and mineral processors
• EPC contractors and engineering firms
• Maintenance and procurement teams
• Equipment distributors

Contact Options:

Email: sales@gft9.shop
Phone: +49 2152 9148591

We provide chemical compatibility verification for your specific process media and operating conditions.

Related: Copper smelting and refining · Sulfuric acid terminals · Chemical storage and tank farms

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