Integration of carbon sequestration with selective hydrometallurgical recovery of metal values
AssigneeNegative Emissions Materials, Inc.
InventorsJeremy William Ley, David Dreisinger
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Abstract
Processes are provided in which successive steps of hydrometallurgical value extraction may be carried out using the products of carbon capture and an electrolytic reagent-generating process. The electrolytic process provides an acid leachant and an alkali hydroxide, with the alkali hydroxide then available for use either directly as a precipitant in the hydrometallurgical steps, or available for conversion by carbon capture to an alkali metal carbonate that can in turn be used as the precipitant in the selective hydrometallurgical steps.
Claims11
A process for processing a comminuted nickel saprolite mineral feedstock, comprising:
- a) leaching iron, aluminum, nickel, cobalt, manganese and magnesium metal values from the comminuted mineral feedstock with an HCl acid leachant, to produce a solid siliceous residue and a loaded leach solution;
- b) precipitating iron and/or aluminum from the loaded leach solution with addition of:
- a first NaOH alkali hydroxide precipitant,
- to produce an Fe/Al depleted solution and an iron and/or aluminum hydroxide or oxide precipitate product;
- c) precipitating nickel and cobalt from the Fe/Al depleted solution, wherein the precipitating is with addition of:
- a second NaOH alkali hydroxide precipitant,
- to produce a Ni/Co depleted solution and a nickel and cobalt mixed hydroxide precipitate product;
- d) precipitating Fe/Al/Mn from the Ni/Co depleted solution with addition of an oxidant and with addition of:
- a third NaOH alkali hydroxide precipitant,
- to produce an Fe/Al/Mn depleted solution and a manganese hydroxide precipitate product;
- e) precipitating magnesium from the Fe/Al/Mn depleted solution with addition of:
- a fourth NaOH alkali hydroxide precipitant,
- to produce a Mg-depleted solution and a magnesium hydroxide precipitate product;
- f) subjecting the Mg-depleted solution to a chloralkali process producing the NaOH alkali hydroxide precipitant, a Cl2(g) product and a H2(g) product, further comprising reacting the Cl2(g) product and the H2(g) product to produce HCl as the HCl acid leachant.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.