Method for producing copper oxide
AssigneeHickson Corporation
InventorsEugene A. Pasek, Craig R. McIntyre
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Abstract
A method for producing copper oxide. In the method, a copper bearing material, aqueous ammonia, and a sufficient amount of an ammonium salt to double the rate of production of copper oxide in the absence of the salt are placed in a single vessel. The vessel is closed, and oxygen is fed into the vessel. The mixture is stirred and heated to a temperature of between approximately 70.degree. and 130.degree. C. to dissolve the copper bearing material into aqueous ammoniacal copper ion. The aqueous ammoniacal copper ion is reacted with the oxygen in the vessel to form solid copper oxide particles, which are then recovered.
Claims13
A method for the production of copper oxide in a single closed vessel, comprising:
- a) placing in a single vessel a mixture of:
- i) a copper bearing material
- ii) water;
- iii) ammonia;
- and
- iv) an ammonium salt in a concentration that provides a production rate of copper oxide that is at least twice that of the production rate of copper oxide in the absence of the ammonium salt,
- b) closing the vessel,
- c) feeding oxygen into the vessel to contact the mixture,
- d) heating and stirring the mixture to a temperature of between approximately 70.degree. and 130.degree. C. to dissolve the copper bearing material into aqueous ammoniacal copper ion, which is then converted to solid copper oxide particles by reaction with the oxygen in the vessel:
- and then
- d) recovering the copper oxide particles;
- wherein the molar ratio of ammonia to copper ranges between approximately 0.1 and 2 moles of ammonia per mole of copper metal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.