Sulphide oxidation in leaching of minerals
AssigneeGlencore Technology Pty Limited
InventorPaul Voigt
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A process for leaching minerals that contain metal sulphides and one or more precious metals or precious metal compounds, the process comprising the steps of a first leaching step to leach the minerals under oxidative conditions at a pH of less than 4 to form a slurry or pulp, the slurry or pulp comprising a solid phase containing unreacted components, solid reaction products and elemental sulphur, and subjecting the slurry or pulp or solid residue from the first leaching step to a second leaching step comprising oxidative leaching at pH of at least 9.0 to thereby form thiosulphate, whereby the thiosulphate leaches precious metal from the solid residue.
Claims20
A process for leaching minerals, the minerals containing metal sulphides and one or more precious metals or precious metal compounds, the process comprising the steps of leaching the minerals under oxidative conditions at a pH of less than 4 to form a slurry or pulp, the slurry or pulp comprising a solid phase containing unreacted components, solid reaction products, and elemental sulphur, and subjecting the slurry or pulp to oxidative leaching at pH of at least 9.0 to thereby form thiosulphate, whereby the thiosulphate leaches precious metal from the solid residue.
A process for leaching minerals, the minerals containing metal sulphides and one or more precious metals or precious metal compounds, the process comprising the steps of leaching the minerals under oxidative conditions at a pH of less than 4 to form a pregnant leach liquor containing dissolved metal and a solid residue containing unreacted components, solid reaction products and elemental sulphur, separating the solid residue from the pregnant leach liquor, and subjecting the solid residue to oxidative leaching at pH of at least 9.0 to thereby form thiosulphate, whereby the thiosulphate leaches precious metal from the solid residue.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.