Recovery of precious metals from metal sulphides
AssigneeSherritt Gordon Mines Limited
InventorsRoman M. Genik-Sas-Berezowsky, Verner B. Sefton, Lynton S. Gormely
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Gold, as well as copper, is recovered from copper bearing sulphidic material containing gold. The copper bearing sulphidic material is subjected to a main leach to provide a copper containing main leach liquor and a main residue. A secondary leach with ammonium thiosulphate solution is carried out on the copper bearing sulphidic material before the main leach, or on the residue from the main leach, to provide a gold containing secondary leach liquor and a secondary residue. Copper and gold are recovered from the respective leach liquors. Silver may also be recovered in addition to the gold.
Claims29
A process for the recovery of gold as well as copper values from copper bearing sulphidic material containing gold, including subjecting the copper bearing sulphidic material to a main leach under oxidizing conditions to provide a copper containing main leach liquor and a main residue, and subjecting said copper bearing sulphidic material before said main leach or said main leach residue from said main leach to a secondary leach with ammonium thiosulphate solution to provide a gold containing secondary leach liquor and a secondary residue, and separating said gold containing secondary leach liquor from the secondary residue.
A process for the recovery of gold as well as copper values from copper bearing sulphidic material containing gold, including subjecting the copper bearing material to a main leach to dissolve a substantial amount of copper without dissolving a substantial amount of gold and provide a copper containing main leach liquor and gold containing main residue, separating the main residue from the main leach liquor, subjecting the main leach residue to a secondary leach with the ammonium thiosulphate solution in the presence of cupric ammine ions to dissolve a substantial amount of gold and provide a gold containing secondary leach liquor and a secondary residue, with the copper of at least some of the cupric ammine ions emanating from the copper bearng sulphidic material, and separating said gold containing secondary leach liquor from the secondary.
A process for the recovery of gold as well as copper from copper bearing sulphidic material containing gold, including subjecting the copper bearing sulphidic material to a secondary leach with ammonium thiosulphate solution in the presence of cupric ammine ions to dissolve substantial amount of gold without dissolving a substantial amount of copper and provide a gold containing secondary leach liquor and a copper containing secondary residue with the copper of at least some of the cupric ammine ions emanating from the copper bearing sulphidic material, separating said gold containing secondary leach liquor from the secondary residue, subjecting the copper containing secondary residue to a main leach to dissolve a substantial amount of copper and provide a copper containing main leach liquor and a main residue, and separating the copper containing main leach liquor from said main residue.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.