Recovery of precious metals
OwnerJohn Hall, Michael Scott McRae-Williams +4inventors
InventorsJohn Hall, Michael Scott McRae-Williams, Paul Andrew White, Terence William Turney, Phillip Stephen Casey, Tracey Markley
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Abstract
A process for leaching precious metals from material containing precious metals, such as oxidic and sulfidic gold-bearing ores, is disclosed. The process includes the steps of: (i) leaching the precious metal with a leach solution containing a thiosulfate-based lixiviant; (ii) treating the material by oxidising precious metal in the material into a form that is leachable in a subsequent leaching step; and thereafter as a separate step.
Claims20
A process for leaching precious metals from material containing precious metals, which process includes the steps of:
- (i) treating the material by oxidising precious metal in the material into a form that is leachable in a subsequent leaching step;
- and thereafter as a separate step
- (ii) leaching the precious metal with a leach solution containing a thiosulfate-based lixiviant.
The process defined in any one of the preceding claims wherein treatment step (i) includes forming agglomerates of the precious metal-bearing material and an oxidant.
The process defined in any one of the preceding claims includes treating the material with ammonia or an ammonium salt, such as ammonium carbonate, to stabilise the oxidant.
The process defined in any one of the preceding claims wherein the oxidant is a soluble source of copper ions.
The process defined in any one of the preceding claims wherein the thiosulfate lixiviant is selected from the group consisting of sodium thiosulfate and ammonium thiosulfate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.