Autoclave having an agitator with an aerating impeller for high oxygen transfer rate to metal-containing slurries and method of use
AssigneePlacer Dome, Inc.
InventorJames A. King
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method is disclosed for recovering a metal from a metal containing material by autoclaving with an autoclave which includes an agitator that includes a first inlet for a recycled oxygen-containing gas, a second inlet for a fresh oxygen-containing gas, an impeller having a plurality of outlets to recirculate or introduce the oxygen-containing gases into the slurry and a set of mixing blades located below the outlets to radially disperse gas bubbles substantially uniformly throughout the slurry. The outlets for the gas can be located in an intermediate set of blades for thorough dispersion of the gas bubbles in the slurry.
Claims22
A method for recovering a metal from a metal-containing material by autoclaving, comprising:
- (a) providing an autoclave containing a metal-containing material in a metal-containing slurry and an agitation assembly;
- (b) agitating the metal-containing slurry in the autoclave by rotating a rotatable shaft that is part of the agitation assembly, the rotatable shaft including (i) a first inlet located above the slurry surface for removing a recycled gas from the interior of the autoclave;
- (ii) a second inlet for a fresh oxygen-containing gas from a source external to the autoclave;
- (iii) a plurality of outlets extending outwardly from an intermediate portion of the shaft and located at intervals around the periphery of the shaft such that the outlets rotate when the shaft rotates;
- (iv) a passage in the rotatable shaft connecting the first and second inlets with the plurality of outlets;
- and (v) a plurality of mixing blades located on an end portion of the shaft and below the plurality of outlets, wherein during the agitating step (b), an oxygen-containing gas that includes the recycled gas and fresh oxygen-containing gas is passed through the rotatable shaft and the plurality of outlets and dispersed radially outwardly from the shaft into the slurry;
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- (c) recovering the metal.
A method for recovering a slurried metal from a metal-containing material by autoclaving, comprising:
- (a) providing an autoclave that includes a sealed vessel and an agitator located in the sealed vessel, the agitator including (i) at least a first inlet located above a surface of a slurried metal-containing material and in communication with the interior of the sealed vessel, the at least a first inlet removing a recycled gas including oxygen from the interior of the sealed vessel;
- (ii) a second inlet in communication with an oxygen source located outside of the sealed vessel, the second inlet providing a fresh gas including oxygen from the oxygen source;
- (iii) an outlet located below the surface of the slurried metal-containing material for introducing the recycled and fresh gases into the slurried metal-containing material;
- and (iv) a passage in a shaft of the agitator, the passage being in communication with the first and second inlets and the outlet;
- (b) rotating the agitator to agitate the slurried metal-containing material, wherein during rotation of the agitator the recycled and fresh gases are passed through the outlet and into the slurried metal-containing material to facilitate oxidation of a metal-containing compound in the slurried metal-containing material;
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- (c) thereafter recovering the metal in the metal-containing material.
A method for recovering a metal from a slurried metal-containing material by autoclaving, comprising:
- (a) providing an autoclave that includes a sealed vessel and an agitator located in the sealed vessel, the agitator including (i) at least a first inlet located above a surface of a slurried metal-containing material and in communication with the interior of the sealed vessel, the at least a first inlet removing a recycled gas including oxygen from the interior of the sealed vessel;
- (ii) a second inlet in communication with an oxygen source located outside of the sealed vessel, the second inlet providing a fresh gas including oxygen from the oxygen source;
- (iii) a plurality of outlets located below the surface of the slurried metal-containing material for introducing the recycled and fresh gases into the slurried metal-containing material;
- (iv) a passage in a shaft of the agitator, the passage being in communication with the first and second inlets and the plurality of outlets;
- and (v) an impeller engaging the shaft and located below the plurality of outlets;
- (b) rotating the agitator to agitate the slurried metal-containing material wherein during rotation of the agitator the recycled and fresh gases are passed through the plurality of outlets and into the slurried metal-containing material to facilitate oxidation of a metal-containing compound in the slurried metal-containing material;
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- (c) thereafter recovering the metal in the metal-containing material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.