US 5,908,605 A · Copper recovery process

Abstract

An improvement in the process of recovery of copper from aqueous ammoniacal solutions containing copper values in which the copper values are extracted from the aqueous ammoniacal solution by an organic phase comprised of a diketone copper extractant dissolved in a water-immiscible organic hydrocarbon solvent, by improving the stripping of the copper from the organic extractant phase, in which the improved stripping results from the incorporation into, or addition to the diketone extractant phase of a catalytic amount of an hydroxy aryl oxime. Also an improved extractant composition is provided comprised of the mixture of a diketone copper extractant and a catalytic amount (preferably about 0.5 to about 5 mole % in relation to the diketone) of an hydroxy aryl oxime, such as nonyl or dodecyl salicylaldoxime.

Claims12

Dependent claims

In a process for the recovery of copper from an aqueous ammoniacal solution containing copper values comprising:

(A) contacting a copper pregnant aqueous ammoniacal solution containing copper values with an organic solution comprised of an insoluble beta-diketone copper extractant dissolved in a water-immiscible organic solvent to extract copper values from said aqueous ammoniacal solution into said organic solution thereby forming a copper pregnant organic phase and a copper barren aqueous phase;
(B) separating said aqueous phase and said organic phase;
(C) contacting the copper pregnant organic phase with an aqueous acidic stripping solution whereby copper values are stripped from the organic phase into said aqueous acidic stripping solution;
(D) separating said aqueous acidic stripping solution, now containing the copper values from the organic phase;
and
(E) recovering the copper from the aqueous acidic stripping solution;
wherein stripping kinetics are improved by incorporating into, or adding to the diketone extractant, an hydroxy oxime in a catalytic amount of about 0.5 to about 5 mole % relative to the diketone extractant.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Copper recovery process

Life of this patent

Copper recovery process

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims12