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US 6,440,376 B1Granted
Method for dissolving noble metals out of segregated ores containing noble metals
AssigneeW. C. Heraeus GmbH
InventorsMartin Stettner, Matthias Grehl, Horst Meyer
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Abstract
A method for dissolving noble metals out of segregated ores containing noble metals, comprising: reducing noble metal oxides present to the individual metals in finely divided form; oxidating the segregated ores and/or the noble metals with HCl and chlorate to yield a solution or suspension having a concentration of H+ ions of at least 1 mol/l, a concentration of Cl− ions of at least 1 mol/l and a temperature of at least 50° C.
Claims3
A process for dissolving one or more noble metals out of a segregated ore containing said one or more noble metals, said process comprising the following steps:
- a) reducing one or more noble metal oxides in said segregated ore to one or more noble metals in a finely divided form;
- b) suspending or solubilizing the segregated ore and/or the one or more noble metals. in a finely divided form in 3 to 5 molar HCl to form a suspension or solution containing the segregated ore and/or the one or more noble metals in a finely divided form;
- c) heating the suspension or solution to a temperature of about 70° C. to about 80° C.;
- and
- d) after said heating, oxidizing the suspension or solution by treating the suspension or solution under potential control with HCl and a 4.5 to 5.0 molar aqueous chlorate solution to yield a further suspension or solution, said further suspension or solution having a concentration of H+ ions of at least 3 mol/l, a concentration of Cl− ions of at least 1 mol/l and a temperature ranging from 50° C. to 95° C.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.