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US 11,884,993 B2Granted
Process for leaching metal sulfides with reagents having thiocarbonyl functional groups
AssigneeJetti Resources, LLC
InventorsDavid Dixon, Oscar Olvera Olmedo, Edouard Asselin, Ahmad Ghahreman, Zihe Ren
Life of this patent
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Abstract
This application pertains to methods of recovering metals from metal sulfides that involve contacting the metal sulfide with an acidic sulfate solution containing ferric sulfate and a reagent that has a thiocarbonyl functional group, wherein the concentration of reagent in the acidic sulfate solution is sufficient to increase the rate of metal ion extraction relative to an acidic sulfate solution that does not contain the reagent, to produce a pregnant solution containing the metal ions.
Claims40
A method of recovering at least one metal from an ore containing at least one metal sulfide, the method comprising:
- contacting the ore with an acidic sulfate solution containing ferric sulfate and a reagent having a thiocarbonyl functional group to extract metal ions from the at least one metal sulfide, wherein the concentration of the reagent in the acidic sulfate solution is sufficient to increase the rate of the metal ion extraction relative to an acidic sulfate solution that does not contain the reagent, to produce a pregnant solution containing the metal ions;
- recovering the at least one metal from the pregnant solution, wherein the at least one metal includes:
- copper, wherein the at least one metal sulfide includes chalcopyrite, covellite, bornite,
- enargite, a copper sulfide of the formula CuxSy wherein the x:y ratio is between 1 and 2, or a combination thereof;
- cadmium, wherein the at least one metal sulfide is greenockite;
- nickel, wherein the at least one metal sulfide is pentlandite, violarite, or a combination thereof;
- or
- a combination thereof;
- and
- wherein the method is a percolation leach.
7 more elements
A method of recovering at least one metal from an ore containing at least one metal sulfide, the method comprising:
- contacting the ore with an acidic sulfate solution containing ferric sulfate and a reagent having a thiocarbonyl functional group, wherein the reagent is thioacetamide (TA), to extract metal ions from the at least one metal sulfide, wherein the concentration of the reagent in the acidic sulfate solution is sufficient to increase the rate of the metal ion extraction relative to an acidic sulfate solution that does not contain the reagent, to produce a pregnant solution containing the metal ions;
- and
- recovering the at least one metal from the pregnant solution, wherein the at least one metal includes:
- copper, wherein the at least one metal sulfide includes chalcopyrite, covellite, bornite,
- enargite, a copper sulfide of the formula CuxSy wherein the x:y ratio is between 1 and 2,
- or a combination thereof;
- cadmium, wherein the at least one metal sulfide is greenockite;
- nickel, wherein the at least one metal sulfide is pentlandite, violarite, or a combination thereof;
- or
- a combination thereof.
7 more elements
A method of recovering at least one metal from an ore containing at least one metal sulfide, the method comprising:
- contacting the ore with an acidic sulfate solution containing ferric sulfate and a reagent having a thiocarbonyl functional group, wherein the reagent is sodium dimethyldithiocarbamate (SDDC), to extract metal ions from the at least one metal sulfide, wherein the concentration of the reagent in the acidic sulfate solution is sufficient to increase the rate of the metal ion extraction relative to an acidic sulfate solution that does not contain the reagent, to produce a pregnant solution containing the metal ions;
- and
- recovering the at least one metal from the pregnant solution, wherein the at least one metal includes:
- copper, wherein the at least one metal sulfide includes chalcopyrite, covellite, bornite,
- enargite, a copper sulfide of the formula CuxSy wherein the x:y ratio is between 1 and 2,
- or a combination thereof;
- cadmium, wherein the at least one metal sulfide is greenockite;
- nickel, wherein the at least one metal sulfide is pentlandite, violarite, or a combination thereof;
- or
- a combination thereof.
7 more elements
A method of recovering at least one metal from an ore containing at least one metal sulfide, the method comprising:
- contacting the ore with an acidic sulfate solution containing ferric sulfate and a reagent having a thiocarbonyl functional group, wherein the reagent is ethylene trithiocarbonate (ETC), to extract metal ions from the at least one metal sulfide, wherein the concentration of the reagent in the acidic sulfate solution is sufficient to increase the rate of the metal ion extraction relative to an acidic sulfate solution that does not contain the reagent, to produce a pregnant solution containing the metal ions;
- and
- recovering the at least one metal from the pregnant solution, wherein the at least one metal includes:
- copper, wherein the at least one metal sulfide includes chalcopyrite, covellite, bornite,
- enargite, a copper sulfide of the formula CuxSy wherein the x:y ratio is between 1 and 2,
- or a combination thereof;
- cadmium, wherein the at least one metal sulfide is greenockite;
- nickel, wherein the at least one metal sulfide is pentlandite, violarite, or a combination thereof;
- or
- a combination thereof.
7 more elements
A method of recovering at least one metal from an ore containing at least one metal sulfide, the method comprising:
- contacting the ore with an acidic sulfate solution containing ferric sulfate and a reagent having a thiocarbonyl functional group, wherein the reagent is thiosemicarbazide (TSCA), to extract metal ions from the at least one metal sulfide, wherein the concentration of the reagent in the acidic sulfate solution is sufficient to increase the rate of the metal ion extraction relative to an acidic sulfate solution that does not contain the reagent, to produce a pregnant solution containing the metal ions;
- and
- recovering the at least one metal from the pregnant solution, wherein the at least one metal includes:
- copper, wherein the at least one metal sulfide includes chalcopyrite, covellite, bornite,
- enargite, a copper sulfide of the formula CuxSy wherein the x:y ratio is between 1 and 2,
- or a combination thereof;
- cadmium, wherein the at least one metal sulfide is greenockite;
- nickel, wherein the at least one metal sulfide is pentlandite, violarite, or a combination thereof;
- or
- a combination thereof.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.