Solid-liquid-solid hydrometallurgical process optimized to increase the solubilization of metals from ores and/or concentrates in acid-chloride medium
AssigneeNova Mineralis S.A.
InventorsTihomir Domic Mihovilovic, Esteban Domic Mihovilovic, Rodrigo Andrés Cortés Cortés
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Abstract
The present invention describes a Solid-Liquid-Solid hydrometallurgical process, optimized and independent of redox potential, to increase the solubilization of metals from ores and/or concentrates with a granulometry of less than 40 mm, by means of an initial stage called “Activation”; a second stage called “Dry autocatalytic transformation”; a third stage called “Washing and re-wetting”; and where the stages of dry autocatalytic transformation and washing and re-wetting, can be repeated in an alternating and repeated way.
Claims18
A Solid-Liquid-Solid hydrometallurgical procedure, optimized and independent of redox potential, to increase the solubilization of metals from ores and/or concentrates, wherein this procedure comprises the following stages:
- a) an initial stage called “Activation”, comprising a curing and agglomeration process, which is carried out by:
- a.1) the addition of sodium chloride at a rate of between 10 kg/t and 60 kg/t, sulfuric acid at a rate of between 10 kg/t and 30 kg/t, and water or an acid-chloride solution at a rate of between 60 kg/t and 100 kg/t, at room temperature, and achieving a final moisture of between 6% and 12%, for primary and/or secondary copper sulfide ores;
- or
- a.2) the addition of sodium chloride at a rate of between 100 kg/t and 250 kg/t, sulfuric acid at a rate of between 10 kg/t and 30 kg/t, and water or an acid-chloride solution at a rate of between 60 kg/t and 120 kg/t, at room temperature, and reaching a final moisture of between 8% and 15%, for copper concentrates;
- b) a second stage called “Autocatalytic Dry Transformation”, which comprises a process of drying and over-saturation of chloride salts, for a time of between 30 and 90 days in each cycle, at a temperature of between 40° C. and 60° C.;
- c) a third stage called “Washing and re-Wetting”, which involves irrigation with an acid-chloride solution or industrial raffinate, using an irrigation rate of at least 5 L/h/m2, and a pH of between 0.1 and 5;
- where the stages b) of auto-catalytic dry transformation and c) of washing and re-wetting, are repeated in an alternate and repeated way, for 3 to 8 cycles.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.