Heap Leaching
AssigneeTechnological Resources Pty. Limited
InventorsPaul Leslie Brown, Ralph Peter Hackl, Stephen Charles Grocott
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of leaching chalcopyrite ores includes the steps of forming agglomerates of fragments of chalcopyrite ores and silver and leaching the agglomerates with suitable leach liquor.
Claims20
A method of leaching chalcopyrite ores includes the steps of:
- (a) forming agglomerates of fragments of chalcopyrite ores and silver, defined herein as “added silver”, the agglomeration step including adding silver in a solution as a spray or a mist or in a solid form as an aerosol to the chalcopyrite ore fragments while the fragments are being mixed together;
- and
- (b) leaching the agglomerates with suitable leach liquor.
A method of leaching chalcopyrite ores includes the steps of:
- (a) forming agglomerates of fragments of chalcopyrite ores and silver, defined herein as “added silver”, wherein the agglomerates formed in the agglomeration step (a) have a low added silver concentration of less than 1 g silver per kg copper in the ore in the agglomerates;
- and
- (b) leaching the agglomerates with suitable leach liquor.
Agglomerates of fragments of chalcopyrite ores and silver suitable for use in a heap or other leaching process, with the silver being dispersed through the agglomerates, with the silver being defined herein as “added silver”, and with the added silver concentration in the agglomerates being less than 1 g silver per kg copper in the ore in the agglomerates.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.