MIC oxygenation: "extraction of metals values from metals bearing ores"
AssigneeAfrican Oxygen Limited
InventorsMark S. Hallinan, Anthony R. Stephens
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Abstract
This invention relates to the extraction of metal values from metal bearing ores. More particularly, in a process for recovering metal values from metal bearing ore, the invention provides the step of enhancing metal value recovery by introducing into the thickener overflow water 32, a gaseous agent capable of promoting recovery of the metal values from the ore. The gaseous agent may be oxygen or oxygen enriched gas, and can be injected by means of injection means 50.
Claims19
A process for extracting metal values from metal bearing ores, which comprises:
- (a) milling wetted ore to produce a slurry;
- (b) removing water from the slurry to produce a thickened slurry of low water content and a water overflow component;
- (c) adding a lixiviant to the thickened slurry;
- (d) leaching metal from the thickened slurry such that the metal is dissolved in the lixiviant to form a leached slurry;
- (e) absorbing the leached slurry in a carbon-in-pulp absorption section via contact with activated carbon particles which absorb the metal from the lixiviant to form a residual slurry;
- (f) separating the carbon particles from the residual slurry;
- and
- (g) recovering the metal from the carbon particles;
- wherein the improvement comprises introducing a gaseous agent into the water overflow component, where at least a portion of the water overflow component is recycled to the milling stage for wetting of the ore, which agent is capable of promoting recovery of the metal values from the ore.
An apparatus for extracting metal values from metal bearing ores, which comprises:
- (a) a mill for wetted ore to produce a slurry;
- (b) means for removing water from the slurry to produce a thickened slurry of low water content and a water overflow component, which may be returned to the mill;
- (c) means for adding lixiviant to the thickened slurry;
- (d) a metal leacher for the thickened slurry such that the metal is dissolved in the lixiviant to form a leached slurry;
- (e) an absorber for the leached slurry with a carbon-in-pulp absorption section which contacts the slurry to activated carbon particles, thereby absorbing the metal from the lixiviant to form a residual slurry;
- (f) a separator to remove the carbon particles with metal from the residual slurry;
- and
- (g) recovery means for removing the metal from the carbon particles;
- wherein the improvement comprises means for introducing a gaseous agent into the water overflow component, where at least a portion of the water overflow component is recycled to the milling stage for wetting of the ore, which gaseous agent is capable of promoting recovery of the metal values from the ore, wherein the metal is gold, the lixiviant is calcium cyanide, and the gaseous agent is oxygen or an oxygen-containing gas.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.