US 5,516,408 A · Process for making copper wire

Abstract

This invention relates to a process for making copper wire directly from a copper-bearing material, comprising: (A) contacting said copper-beating material with an effective amount of at least one aqueous leaching solution to dissolve copper ions into said leaching solution and form a copper-rich aqueous leaching solution; (B) contacting said copper-rich aqueous leaching solution with an effective amount of at least one water-insoluble extractant to transfer copper ions from said copper-rich aqueous leaching solution to said extractant to form a copper-rich extractant and a copper-depleted aqueous leaching solution; (C) separating said copper-rich extractant from said copper-depleted aqueous leaching solution; (D) contacting said copper-rich extractant with an effective amount of at least one aqueous stripping solution to transfer copper ions from said extractant to said stripping solution to form a copper-rich stripping solution and a copper-depleted extractant; (E) separating said copper-rich stripping solution from said copper-depleted extractant; (F) flowing said copper-rich stripping solution between an anode and a cathode, and applying an effective amount of voltage across said anode and said cathode to deposit copper on said cathode; (G) removing said copper from said cathode; and (H) converting said removed copper from (G) to copper wire at a temperature below the melting point of said copper.

Claims44

Dependent claims

A process for making copper wire directly from a copper-bearing material, comprising:

(A) contacting said copper-bearing material with an effective amount of at least one aqueous leaching solution to dissolve copper ions into said leaching solution and form a copper-rich aqueous leaching solution;
(B) contacting said copper-rich aqueous leaching solution with an effective amount of at least one water-insoluble extractant to transfer copper ions from said copper-rich aqueous leaching solution to said extractant to form a copper-rich extractant and a copper-depleted aqueous leaching solution;
(C) separating said copper-rich extractant from said copper-depleted aqueous leaching solution;
(D) contacting said copper-rich extractant with an effective amount of at least one aqueous stripping solution to transfer copper ions from said extractant to said stripping solution to form a copper-rich stripping solution and a copper-depleted extractant;
(E) separating said copper-rich stripping solution from said copper-depleted extractant;
(F) flowing said copper-rich stripping solution between an anode and a cathode, and applying an effective amount of voltage across said anode and said cathode to deposit copper on said cathode;
(G) removing said copper from said cathode;
and
(H) converting said removed copper from (G) to copper wire at a temperature below the melting point of said copper.

6 more elements

A process for making copper wire directly from a copper-beating material, comprising:

(A) contacting said copper-bearing material with an effective amount of at least one aqueous leaching solution to dissolve copper ions in said leaching solution and form a copper-rich aqueous leaching solution;
(B-1) contacting said copper-rich aqueous leaching solution from (A) with an effective amount of at least one copper-beating water-insoluble extractant from (C-2) to transfer copper ions from said copper-rich aqueous leaching solution to said copper-bearing extractant to form a copper-rich extractant and a first copper-depleted aqueous leaching solution;
(C-1) separating said copper-rich extractant from said first copper-depleted aqueous leaching solution, advancing said copper-rich extractant to (D);
(B-2) contacting said first copper-depleted aqueous leaching solution from (C-1) with an effective amount of at least one copper-depleted extractant from (E) to transfer copper ions from said first copper-depleted aqueous leaching solution to said copper-depleted extractant to form a copper-bearing extractant and a second copper-depleted aqueous leaching solution;
(C-2) separating said copper-bearing extractant from said second copper-depleted aqueous leaching solution, recirculating said copper-bearing extractant to (B-1);
(D) contacting said copper-rich extractant from (C-1) with an effective amount of at least one aqueous stripping solution to transfer copper ions from said copper-rich extractant to said stripping solution to form a first electrolyte solution and a copper-depleted extractant;
(E) separating said first electrolyte solution from said copper-depleted extractant, recirculating said copper-depleted extractant to (B-2);
(F) advancing said first electrolyte solution to an electrolytic cell equipped with at least one anode and at least one rotating cathode, and applying an effective amount of voltage across said anode and said cathode to deposit copper on said cathode in the form of copper foil;
(G) removing said copper foil from said cathode;
(H-1) slitting said copper foil into a plurality of strands of copper wire;
and
(H-2) shaping said strands of copper wire from (H-1) to provide said strands with desired cross-sections.

9 more elements

A process for making copper wire directly from a copper-bearing material, comprising:

(A) contacting said copper-bearing material with an effective amount of at least one aqueous leaching solution to dissolve copper ions in said leaching solution and form a copper-rich aqueous leaching solution;
(B-1) contacting said copper-rich aqueous leaching solution from (A) with an effective amount of at least one copper-bearing water-insoluble extractant from (C-2) to transfer copper ions from said copper-rich aqueous leaching solution to said copper-bearing extractant to form a copper-rich extractant and a first copper-depleted aqueous leaching solution;
(C-1) separating said copper-rich extractant from said first copper-depleted aqueous leaching solution, advancing said copper-rich extractant to (D);
(B-2) contacting said first copper-depleted aqueous leaching solution from (C-1) with an effective amount of at least one copper-depleted extractant from (E) to transfer copper ions from said first copper-depleted aqueous leaching solution to said copper-depleted extractant to form a copper-bearing extractant and a second copper-depleted aqueous leaching solution;
(C-2) separating said copper-bearing extractant from said second copper-depleted aqueous leaching solution, recirculating said copper-beating extractant to (B-1);
(D) contacting said copper-rich extractant from (C-1) with an effective amount of at least one aqueous stripping solution to transfer copper ions from said copper-rich extractant to said stripping solution to form a first electrolyte solution and a copper-depleted extractant;
(E) separating said first electrolyte solution from said copper-depleted extractant, recirculating said copper-depleted extractant to (B-2);
(F) advancing said first electrolyte solution from (E) to an electrolytic cell equipped with at least one first anode and at least one cathode, and applying an effective amount of voltage across said anode and said cathode to deposit copper on said first cathode;
(G) removing copper powder from said cathode;
(H-1) extruding said copper powder to form copper rod or wire;
and
(H-2) drawing said copper rod or wire from (H-1) to form copper wire with a desired cross-section.

9 more elements

A process for making copper wire directly from a copper-bearing material, comprising:

(A) contacting said copper-bearing material with an effective amount of at least one aqueous leaching solution to dissolve copper ions in said leaching solution and form a copper-rich aqueous leaching solution;
(B-1) contacting said copper-rich aqueous leaching solution from (A) with an effective amount of at least one copper-bearing water-insoluble extractant from (C-2) to transfer copper ions from said copper-rich aqueous leaching solution to said copper-bearing extractant to form a copper-rich extractant and a first copper-depleted aqueous leaching solution;
(C-1) separating said copper-rich extractant from said first copper-depleted aqueous leaching solution, advancing said copper-rich extractant to (D);
(B-2) contacting said first copper-depleted aqueous leaching solution from (C-1) with an effective amount of at least one copper-depleted extractant from (E) to transfer copper ions from said first copper-depleted aqueous leaching solution to said copper-depleted extractant to form a copper-bearing extractant and a second copper-depleted aqueous leaching solution;
(C-2) separating said copper-bearing extractant from said second copper-depleted aqueous leaching solution, recirculating said copper-bearing extractant to (B-1);
(D) contacting said copper-rich extractant from (C-1) with an effective amount of at least one aqueous stripping solution to transfer copper ions from said copper-rich extractant to said stripping solution to form a first electrolyte solution and a copper-depleted extractant;
(E) separating said first electrolyte solution from said copper-depleted extractant, recirculating said copper-depleted extractant to (B-2);
(F) advancing said first electrolyte solution from (E) into an electrolytic cell equipped with at least one anode and at least one rotating cathode, and applying an effective amount of voltage across said anode and said cathode to deposit copper on said cathode;
(G) score-cutting said copper to form a thin strand of copper and removing said strand of copper from said cathode;
and
(H-1) shaping said strand of copper from (G) to provide copper wire with a desired cross-section.

8 more elements

A process for making copper wire directly from a copper-bearing material, comprising:

(A) contacting said copper-bearing material with an effective amount of at least one aqueous leaching solution to dissolve copper ions in said leaching solution and form a copper-rich aqueous leaching solution;
(B-1) contacting said copper-rich aqueous leaching solution from (A) with an effective amount of at least one copper-bearing water-insoluble extractant from (C-2) to transfer copper ions from said copper-rich aqueous leaching solution to said copper-bearing extractant to form a copper-rich extractant and a first copper-depleted aqueous leaching solution;
(C-1) separating said copper-rich extractant from said first copper-depleted aqueous leaching solution, advancing said copper-rich extractant to (D);
(B-2) contacting said first copper-depleted aqueous leaching solution from (C-1) with an effective amount of at least one copper-depleted extractant from (E) to transfer copper ions from said first copper-depleted aqueous leaching solution to said copper-depleted extractant to form a copper-bearing extractant and a second copper-depleted aqueous leaching solution;
(C-2) separating said copper-bearing extractant from said second copper-depleted aqueous leaching solution, recirculating said copper-bearing extractant to (B-1);
(D) contacting said copper-rich extractant from (C-1) with an effective amount of at least one aqueous stripping solution to transfer copper ions from said copper-rich extractant to said stripping solution to form a first electrolyte solution and a copper-depleted extractant;
(E) separating said first electrolyte solution from said copper-depleted extractant, recirculating said copper-depleted extractant to (B-2);
(F) advancing said first electrolyte solution to an electrolytic cell equipped with at least one anode and at least one rotating cathode, and applying an effective amount of voltage across said anode and said cathode to deposit copper on said cathode;
(G) removing said copper from said cathode;
and
(H) converting said removed copper from (G) to copper wire at a temperature below the melting point of said copper.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Process for making copper wire

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Process for making copper wire

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Abstract

Claims44