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US 4,065,300 AGranted
Method for extraction of copper products from copper bearing material
OwnerArchie L. Poarchinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Cuprous oxide and finely divided metallic copper are recovered from copper bearing material by an improved chemical process involving the dissolving of the copper bearing material in a solution of ammonium nitrate having an excess of NO.sub.3.sup..dbd. ions to form a cupric ammonium complex which then collects additional copper ions to form a cuprous ammonium nitrate. The cuprous ammonium nitrate is then broken down chemically to cuprous oxide and finely divided metallic copper.
Claims10
An integrated process for preparing high-priority copper products from material comprising cement copper and/or other copper bearing materials comprising the steps of:
- a. separating a powdered copper concentrate from said material;
- b. preparing a copper nitrate solution in which copper is substantially the only metal ion present by reacting said concentrate in the presence of nitrogen with an aqueous solution of nitric acid to obtain copper nitrate in solution;
- c. substantially completely reducing said copper nitrate with ammonia and copper bearing materials in the absence of oxygen to obtain cuprous ammonium nitrate in solution,
- d. agitating said cuprous ammonium nitrate while maintaining a pH of approximately 3.0 to 3.5 and temperature of approximately 110 degrees Fahrenheit to 120 degrees Fahrenheit to obtain cuprous oxide, and
- e. decomposing substantially all of said cuprous oxide with nitric acid to obtain metallic copper and copper nitrate in solution.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.