US 4,581,064 AGranted

Treatment of anode slimes in a top blown rotary converter

AssigneeNoranda Inc.

InventorsBernard H. Morrison, John G. Lenz, Jacques Pageau, J. Gerald Bard

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Abstract

A process for treating anode slimes originating from copper, lead or nickel electrorefining to recover the precious metals contained therein is disclosed. The process comprises the steps of charging the slimes into a tiltable and rotatable top blown rotary converter (TBRC), smelting the slimes in the TBRC while it is rotated on an axis inclined to the horizontal to form a slag phase and a precious metals containing phase, tilting the TBRC and skimming the slag produced during smelting, and blowing an oxidizing gas onto or into the precious metals containing phase remaining in the TBRC while rotating the same on its axis inclined to the horizontal to remove impurity elements some of which enter a gas phase and some a new slag phase until a precious metals containing bullion suitable to be treated in a parting plant is obtained.

Claims23

Dependent claims

A process for the separation of deleterious elements such as selenium, tellurium, lead, bismuth, arsenic, silicon, nickel, sulphur, antimony and copper from anode slimes originating from copper, lead or nickel electrorefining, and treatment of said anode slimes to recover the precious metals contained therein, comprising the steps of;

(a) charging the slimes into a top blown rotary converter (TBRC) rotating on an axis inclined to the horizontal;
(b) heating the slimes to a temperature sufficient to smelt the charge and causing formation of a precious metal phase containing substantially all of the silver, gold and platinum group metals as well as minor amounts of impurity elements, such as selenium, tellurium, lead, copper, bismuth, arsenic, antimony, nickel, and other noble elements, and formation of a smelting slag phase containing less noble elements such as silicon and substantial quantities of lead;
(c) skimming the smelting slag;
and
(d) introducing an oxidizing gas, such as air, oxygen enriched air, or commercially pure oxygen into the TBRC to remove from the precious metal containing phase those elements less noble than the precious metals, such as selenium, tellurium, lead, copper, bismuth, arsenic, antimony and nickel, thereby concentrating the precious metals in a form suitable for parting of silver, gold and other platinum group metals.

2 more elements

(a) charging the slimes into a tiltable and rotatable top blown rotary converter (TBRC);
(b) heating the slimes in said TBRC while it is rotated on an axis inclined to the horizontal to a temperature sufficient to smelt the charge and causing formation of a precious metal phase containing substantially all of the silver, gold and platinum group metals as well as minor amounts of impurity elements, such as selenium, tellurium, lead, copper, bismuth, arsenic, antimony, nickel, and other noble elements, and formation of a smelting slag phase containing less noble elements, such as silicon and substantial quantities of lead;
(c) tilting the TBRC and skimming the slag produced during smelting;
and
(d) blowing an oxidizing gas onto or into the precious metals containing phase remaining in the TBRC while rotating the same on its axis inclined to the horizontal to remove from the precious metals containing phase those elements less noble than the precious metals, such as selenium, tellurium, lead, cooper, bismuth, arsenic, antimony and nickel, thereby concentrating the precious metals in a form suitable for electrolytic parting of silver, gold and other platinum group metals.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.