Method of ore processing
AssigneeThe University of Queensland
InventorsJames VAUGHAN, William HAWKER
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Abstract
A method of selectively leaching a metal such as nickel from an ore or ore processing intermediate comprising the metal and cobalt. The ore or ore processing intermediate is contacted with an acidic leach solution comprising an amount of an oxidising agent sufficient to oxidise a major portion of the cobalt to thereby cause it to be stabilised in the solid phase while a major portion of the metal is dissolved for subsequent recovery.
Claims22
A method of selectively leaching a metal selected from the group consisting of nickel, copper and zinc from a solid ore or solid ore processing intermediate comprising the metal and cobalt, the method including:
- a) providing a mixture comprising an acidic leach solution and an oxidising agent;
- and
- b) mixing the mixture with the solid ore or solid ore processing intermediate,
- wherein there is sufficient oxidising agent to stabilize greater than 95% by mass of the cobalt to cause it to be stabilised in a solid phase while greater than 50% by mass of the metal is selectively dissolved.
A method of recovering nickel and cobalt from a mixed nickel-cobalt hydroxide precipitate including the steps of:
- (a) providing a mixture comprising an acidic leach solution and an oxidising agent, wherein there is sufficient oxidising agent to stabilise greater than 95% by mass of the cobalt to cause it to be stabilized in the solid phase while greater than 50% by mass of the nickel is selectively dissolved;
- (b) mixing the mixture with the mixed nickel-cobalt hydroxide precipitate,
- (c) separating the cobalt in the solid phase from the acidic leach solution containing dissolved nickel to recover the cobalt in the solid phase;
- and
- (d) recovering the nickel from the acidic leach solution.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.