Recovery of copper from its sulfides and other sources using halogen reagents and oxidants
AssigneeSouth Dakota School of Mines and Technology
InventorsKenneth N. Han, Xinghui Meng
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Copper and nickel are extracted from their elemental state, complex sulfides, ores, and other materials such as scrap by leaching them with a solution containing halogen salts: bromine/bromide, or iodide/iodine, oxygen and sodium or potassium nitrate. The invented process is particularly effective for chalcopyrite and pentlandite in an autoclave at a temperature of 100.degree. C.-150.degree. C.
Claims15
A process for the extraction of at least one metal selected from the group consisting of copper and nickel from a material by a leaching process comprising the steps of:
- a) charging to a reaction zone at least one of copper and a nickel bearing material, water, at least one of bromide and iodide, at least one of sodium and potassium nitrate, in effective amount for leaching of said metal to form a charged reaction zone;
- b) mixing the charged reaction zone to leach copper or nickel from said materials thereby producing a slurry containing said metal in solution;
- c) separating the metal in solution from the slurry;
- and
- d) recovering the metal in solution;
- and further wherein one of bromine and iodine is generated during said mixing step for said leaching of said metal.
The process of 8 wherein the initial partial pressure of oxygen ranges from 30 psi (207 kPa) to up to 200 psi (1380 kPa).
A method of recovery of copper from electronic scrap comprising the steps of:
- a) providing an electronic scrap;
- b) providing at least one reactant selected from the group consisting of bromide, bromine, iodide, iodine and combinations thereof;
- c) mixing the reactants and the electronic scrap to form a leach solution, the reactant being present is selected in an amount effective to leach the copper from the electronic scrap;
- and
- d) recovering the copper from the leach solution.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.