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AssigneeJaguar Nickel Inc.
InventorsG. Bryn Harris, Vaikuntam I. Lakshmanan, Ramamritham Sridhar, Geroge Puvvada
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A process for leaching a value metal from a base metal sulfide ore, comprising the step of leaching the ore with a lixiviant comprising a chloride, an oxidant and hydrochloric acid is disclosed. The leaching is controlled, by use of low concentrations of hydrochloric acid and a redox potential, to effect formation of hydrogen sulfide from the base metal sulfide ore. The hydrogen sulfide is stripped from the leach solution, thereby reducing the amount of sulfate generated in the leach to very low levels. The leaching may also be conducted to limit the co-dissolution of platinum group metals and gold with the base value metals. The leach forms a value metal-rich leachate and a solids residue. The solids residue may be subsequently leached to recover the platinum group metals and gold. The value metal-rich leachate can be oxidized and neutralized to recover the value base metals. In an embodiment, the chloride is magnesium chloride and lixiviant solution is regenerated
A process for leaching a value metal from a sulfide source material containing said value metal with a lixiviant comprising hydrochloric, a metal chloride, and an oxidant, the leaching with said lixiviant being controlled so that at least about 50% of sulfide sulfur that is leached from the sulfide source material is converted to hydrogen sulfide during said leaching to obtain a leachate and a solid residue.
A process for leaching a value metal from a sulfide ore comprising leaching the sulfide ore with a lixiviant comprising hydrochloric acid, a metal chloride, and an oxidant to obtain a leachate and a solid residue, wherein the redox potential is maintained sufficiently low to essentially not leach platinum group metals and gold from the sulfide ore material and to essentially convert the sulfide sulfur which is leached from the sulfide ore to hydrogen sulfide.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.