Inhibition of the depletion of metal values from pregnant lixiviant solutions
OwnerLibardo A. Perez, David M. Polizzottiinventors
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Abstract
Methods for inhibiting depletion of mineral values from pregnant lixiviant solutions comprise contacting the requisite metal ore with a preg-robbing inhibition agent (PRIA) comprising (I) alkyl polyglucoside surfactants; (II) imidazoline based amphoteric surfactants; and (III) hydroformylation products of lower (C2-C8) alkanes in an organic solvent medium.
Claims24
In the leaching of metals from a metal ore in which a lixiviant solution is placed in contact with said metal ore to extract said metal therefrom in the form of a pregnant lixiviant solution, a method of inhibiting depletion of said extracted metal from said pregnant lixiviant solution, said method comprising contacting said metal ore with an effective amount of a preg-robbing inhibition agent (PRIA) comprising a member selected from the groups consisting of I, II, and III and mixtures of said groups wherein I is an alkyl polyglucoside surfactant, II is an imidazoline based amphoteric surfactant, and III comprises hydroformylation products of C2-C8 alkenes in a C3-C24 medium.
In a metal pulp comprising a gold metal ore and a pregnant lixiviant solution containing gold cyanide complexes, a method of inhibiting adsorption of said gold cyanide complexes by said gold metal ore comprising contacting said gold metal ore with an effective preg-robbing inhibition agent (PRIA) comprising a member selected from the groups consisting of I, II, and III and mixtures of said groups wherein I is an alkyl polyglucoside surfactant, II is an imidazoline based amphoteric surfactant, and III comprises hydroformylation products of C2-C8 alkenes in a C3-C24 medium.
In a gold extraction process in which a lixiviant solution is brought into contact with a gold bearing ore to form a pregnant lixiviant solution, and wherein said pregnant lixiviant solution is contacted with activated carbon to aid in separating said gold from said pregnant lixiviant solution, the improvement comprising contacting said activated carbon with a member selected form the groups consisting of I, II, and III and mixtures of said groups wherein I is an alkyl polyglucoside surfactant, II is an imidazoline based amphoteric surfactant, and III comprises hydroformylation products of C2-C8 alkenes in a C3-C24 medium.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.