Processing method
AssigneeRio Tinto Technological Resources Inc.
InventorsAdam James Burley, Javiera Del Pilar Alcayaga Zúñiga, Yure Anton Mladinic Muñoz
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Abstract
A method of processing a pyrite-containing slurry is disclosed. The method includes removing pyrite from the pyrite-containing slurry and forming (i) an inert stream and (ii) a pyrite-containing material, with the pyrite-containing slurry including tailings from a tailings dam or an ore processing plant. The method also includes leaching a metal sulfide-containing material and the pyrite-containing material with a leach liquor and microbes. A method of leaching a metal sulfide-containing material is also disclosed. A flotation circuit for an ore processing plant for a metal sulfide-containing material is also disclosed.
Claims13
A method of processing a pyrite-containing slurry that comprises:
- (a) removing pyrite from the pyrite-containing slurry and forming (i) an inert stream and (ii) a pyrite-containing material, with the pyrite-containing slurry including tailings from a tailings dam or an ore processing plant;
- (b) mixing together a metal sulfide-containing material and the pyrite-containing material;
- and
- (c) leaching the metal sulfide-containing material and the pyrite-containing material with an acidic leach liquor and microbes and removing a metal from the metal sulfide-containing material and forming a pregnant leach liquor containing metal, with the pyrite in the pyrite-containing material generating acid and heat that facilitate leaching of the metal from the metal sulfide-containing material, and with the microbes oxidising ferrous iron to ferric iron, wherein the metal is copper, nickel, zinc, or cobalt.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.