Back to results
US 10,738,370 B2Granted
Recovery of cesium from epithermal mineral deposits
AssigneeCascadero Copper Corporation
InventorsMohammad Mokmeli, David Dreisinger, David L. Trueman, Bruce W. Downing, Bill McWilliam
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Hydrometallurgical processes are provided for the recovery of metal values, including cesium, from epithermal mineral deposits, including pharmacosiderite-containing ores. Aspects of the process involve the preferential formation of a cesium alum, and preparation of cesium hydroxide from the cesium alum.
Claims28
A process for extracting cesium from an ore, or a concentrate of the ore, wherein the ore is derived from an epithermal mineral deposit comprising pharmacosiderite, Cs, Rb and K, the process comprising:
- leaching the ore with an acid in a heated leaching solution, to produce a cesium-containing leachate;
- separating the liquid cesium-containing leachate from a solid leach residue by solid-liquid separation;
- treating the liquid leachate solution with an aluminum salt and cooling the solution, to provide conditions in a mother liquor that favour the formation of a cesium alum precipitate over the formation of other solid alkali metal alums in the mother liquor, wherein the solubility of the cesium alum precipitate is lowered in the liquid leachate, compared to cesium alum solubility in water alone;
- separating the cesium alum from the mother liquor, leaving a cesium-alum-barren solution;
- and,
- directing the cesium alum to a purification and cesium recovery process.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.