Chloride assisted hydrometallurgical extraction of metal
AssigneeCominco Engineering Services Ltd.
InventorDavid L. Jones
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A process for the extraction of zinc from a sulphide ore or concentrate containing copper and zinc includes subjecting the concentrate to pressure oxidation in the presence of oxygen and an acidic halide solution to obtain a resulting pressure oxidation slurry and subjecting the slurry to a liquid/solid separation step to produce a liquor containing copper and zinc in solution. The liquor containing the copper and zinc is subjected to a first solvent extraction with a copper extractant to remove copper from the solution and to produce a copper depleted raffinate. The copper depleted raffinate is subjected to a second solid extraction with a zinc extractant to produce a zinc depleted raffinate and the zinc depleted raffinate is recycled to the pressure oxidation step.
Claims13
A process for the extraction of zinc from a sulphide ore or concentrate containing copper and zinc, comprising the steps of:
- subjecting the ore or concentrate to pressure oxidation in the presence of oxygen and an acidic halide solution to produce a liquor containing copper and zinc in solution and a solid residue;
- subjecting the liquor to a first solvent extraction with a copper extractant to remove copper from the solution and to produce a copper depleted raffinate;
- subjecting the copper depleted raffinate to neutralization to raise the pH thereof;
- subjecting the resulting copper depleted raffinate to a second solvent extraction with a zinc extractant to produce a zinc depleted raffinate;
- and recycling the zinc depleted raffinate to the pressure oxidation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.