Precious metal recovery process from sulfide ores
AssigneeEnsci, Inc.
InventorThomas J. Clough
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Abstract
A process for recovering at least one precious metal from an ore containing metal sulfide material is disclosed. The process involves the use of promoting amounts of certain plant derived ortho-quinone containing components, in particular, certain lignin and/or tannin derived components containing ortho-quinone functionality. Preferred compositions comprise at least one ligno sulfonate component containing ortho-quinone functionality. In the process, the use of at least one additional oxidant capable of maintaining the ortho-quinone containing functionality in the desired oxidation state provides for integrated process synergy.
Claims19
A process for recovering at least one first metal selected from the group consisting of gold, silver, the platinum group metals and mixtures thereof from an ore containing at least one metal sulfide material comprising contacting said ore with at least one added plant derived aromatic component selected from the group consisting of lignin and tannin and having ortho-quinone functionality wherein the ortho-quinone functionality is present in the component in the range of from at least about 1 weight percent to about 40 weight percent of the total weight of the plant derived aromatic component and mixtures thereof said plant derived aromatic component being present in an aqueous soluble amount to at least promote the oxidation of at least a portion of said metal sulfide material and at least partially liberate the metal to be recovered from said ore and an additional oxidant being present to provide at least one of the following:
- (1) form and cycle to an oxidized state said plant derived aromatic component between ortho-quinone and catechol oxidation states and (2) cycle to an oxidized state said plant derived aromatic component between ortho-quinone and catechol oxidation states and recovering said first metal from said ore.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.