Processes for recovering metals from ores using organic solvent extraction and aqueous stripping at selected temperature differentials

The disclosed invention concerns a process comprising: (a) providing a pregnant leach solution comprising copper values; (b) contacting the pregnant leach solution with an organic phase comprising a copper extractant at an extraction temperature, Text, to form a loaded organic phase comprising the metal values; (c) contacting the loaded organic phase with an aqueous stripping solution at a stripping temperature, Tstrip, to form a copper-enriched stripping solution; wherein the difference in temperature (DeltaT) between the stripping temperature and the extraction temperature according to equation (I): DeltaT=Tstrip-Text is less than or equal to about 10° C. In other increasingly more preferred embodiments of the invention, the difference in temperature (DeltaT) is less than or equal to about 5° C., less than or equal to about 2.5° C., less than or equal to about 0° C., less than or equal to about -5° C., and less than or equal to about -10° C. Also disclosed are economic means to manipulate the extraction, strip, and electrowinning temperatures to achieve these temperature differentials.