Electrochemical system and method
AssigneeRMG Services Pty. Ltd.
InventorRodolfo Gomez
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An electrochemical apparatus and system for extracting and recovering metals from their compounds using electrochemical cells where the anolyte 10 is connected electrically to the catholyte 11 through an independent set of electrodes 13, 14 immersed in each electrolyte and connected to each other by a conductor 16. The specification details the application of this principle to commercial size cells and systems to extract metals from solutions, from ores in-situ, from ores in heaps and fixed beds, from fine metal concentrates dissolved either at the anode cell or in a separate leaching vessel. Alkaline electrolytes are also given for the extraction and recovery of nickel and copper from their oxide ores. A method for extracting gold from ores or residues is also included.
Claims27
An electrochemical metal recovery apparatus comprising:
- an anode cell, an anode assembly in the anode cell, and a first solution electrode assembly in the anode cell,
- a cathode cell, a cathode assembly in the cathode cell and a second solution electrode assembly in the cathode cell,
- an electrical connection between the first solution electrode assembly and the second solution electrode assembly,
- a direct current electrical potential source between the anode assembly and the cathode assembly, and
- means to transfer metal rich electrolyte from the anode cell to the cathode cell and means to transfer metal depleted electrolyte from the cathode cell to the anode cell.
A process for the recovery of gold in an electrochemical metal recovery apparatus which comprises:
- an anode cell, an anode assembly in the anode cell, and a first solution electrode assembly in the anode cell, a cathode cell, a cathode assembly in the cathode cell and a second solution electrical assembly in the cathode cell, an electrical connection between the first solution electrode assembly and the second solution electrical assembly, a direct current electrical potential source between the anode assembly and the cathode assembly, and means to transfer metal rich electrolyte from the anode cell to the cathode cell and means to transfer metal depleted electrolyte from the cathode cell to the anode cell,
- said process comprising the steps of:
- extracting gold from a finely ground ore or from a residue,
- re-pulping the gold containing material in brine to a pH of 4 to alkaline in a tank and passing the re-pulped gold containing material to an absorption tower to absorb chlorine produced from the anode cells to form a leached slurry,
- passing such slurry to the anode cells,
- operating the anode cells to maintain a redox of about 700 to dissolve gold, passing the leached slurry to a liquid/solid separation stage,
- subsequently reducing the redox potential of the gold bearing solution to about 500 by the addition of fresh ore or liquid streams of lower potential,
- recovering gold by precipitation on activated carbon or by electrolysis in cathode cells connected to the anode cells, and
- recycling the barren gold solution to a re-pulping tank.
An electrochemical metal recovery apparatus comprising:
- an anode cell, an anode assembly in the anode cell and a first solution electrode in the anode cell;
- a cathode cell, a cathode assembly in the cathode cell and a second solution electrode in the cathode cell;
- an electrical connection between the first solution electrode and the second solution electrode;
- a direct current electrical potential source between the anode assembly and the cathode assembly;
- and
- means to transfer metal rich electrolyte from the anode cell to the cathode cell and means to transfer metal
- depleted electrolyte from the cathode cell to the anode cell;
- wherein the electrical connection between the first solution electrode and the second solution electrode is electrically independent of the means for applying an electrical potential between the cathode and the anode.
An electromechanical metal recovery apparatus for removing metals from a slurry, comprising:
- an anode cell, an anode assembly in the anode cell and a first solution electrode in the anode cell;
- a cathode cell, a cathode assembly in the cathode cell and a second solution electrode in the cathode cell;
- an electrical connection between the first solution electrode and the second solution electrode;
- a direct current electrical potential source between the anode assembly and the cathode assembly;
- and
- means to transfer metal rich electrolyte from the anode cell to the cathode cell and means to transfer metal depleted electrolyte from the cathode cell to the anode cell;
- wherein the electrical connection between the first solution electrode and the second solution electrode is electrically independent of the means for applying an electrical potential between the cathode and the anode, and
- said metals are selected from the group consisting of nickel, cobalt, and copper oxide ores.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.