Hydrometallurgical extraction of copper and other valuable metals
AssigneeTechnological Resources Pty. Limited
InventorRaymond Walter Shaw
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Abstract
A hydrometallurgical process for extracting copper and any one or more than one of zinc, silver and gold from a sulphide ore or concentrate is disclosed. The process includes a range of mineral species that contain copper and one or more than one of zinc, silver and gold, which process includes two or more than two leach steps using each liquors of different composition, each leach step selectively leaching one or more than one metal from the minerals. The process also includes separating a solid residue and an exit leach liquor after each leach step, leaching the solid residue produced in each leach step in a successive leach step, and recovering metal from the exit leach liquor produced in each leach step.
Claims77
A hydrometallurgical process for extracting copper and any one or more than one of zinc, silver and gold from a sulphide ore or concentrate which includes a range of mineral species that contain copper and one or more than one of zinc, silver and gold, which process includes two or more than two leach steps using leach liquors of different composition, each leach step selectively leaching one or more than one metal from the minerals, separating a solid residue and an exit leach liquor after each leach step, leaching the solid residue produced in each leach step in a successive leach step, and recovering metal from the exit leach liquor produced in each leach step, and wherein one of the leach steps includes an oxidative acid sulphate high pressure leach carried out at over 200° C. which converts to sulphate much of the sulphur present in the sulphide ore or concentrate or the solid residue of a previous leach step and extracts copper and zinc.
A hydrometallurgical process for extracting copper and any one or more than one of zinc, silver and gold from a sulphide ore or concentrate which includes a range of mineral species that contain copper and one or more than one of zinc, silver and gold, which process includes two or more than two leach steps using leach liquors of different composition, each leach step selectively leaching one or more than one metal from the minerals, separating a solid residue and an exit leach liquor after each leach step, leaching the solid residue produced in each leach step in a successive leach step, and recovering metal from the exit leach liquor produced in each leach step, and wherein one of the leach steps includes a mixed chloride-sulphate leach with oxygen injection at 80 to 125° C. at atmospheric or low pressure with a chloride level of 5 to 60 g/l which extracts copper from refractory sulphide minerals in the sulphide ore or concentrate or the solid residue of a previous leach step.
A hydrometallurgical process for extracting copper and any one or more than one of zinc, silver and gold from a sulphide ore or concentrate which includes a range of mineral species that contain copper and one or more than one of zinc, silver and gold, which process includes two or more than two leach steps using leach liquors of different composition, each leach step selectively leaching one or more than one metal from the minerals, separating a solid residue and an exit leach liquor after each leach step, leaching the solid residue produced in each leach step in a successive leach step, and recovering metal from the exit leach liquor produced in each leach step, and wherein the two or more leach steps comprise two or more of the following:
- a) a ferric sulphate leach which extracts copper from chalcocite (Cu2S) in the sulphide ore or concentrate or the solid residue of a previous leach step;
- b) a mixed chloridesulphate leach which extracts copper from refractory sulphide minerals in the sulphide ore or concentrate or the solid residue of a previous leach step;
- c) a halogen extraction leach which extracts copper, silver and gold from the sulphide ore or concentrate or the solid residue of a previous leach step;
- and
- d) an oxidative acid sulphate high pressure leach carried out at over 200° C. which converts to sulphate much of the sulphur present in the sulphide ore or concentrate or the solid residue of a previous leach step and extracts copper and zinc.
A hydrometallurgical process for extracting copper and any one or more than one of zinc, silver and gold from a sulphide ore or concentrate which includes a range of mineral species that contain copper and one or more than one of zinc, silver and gold, which process includes two or more than two leach steps using leach liquors of different composition, each leach step selectively leaching one or more than one metal from the minerals, separating a solid residue and an exit leach liquor after each leach step, leaching the solid residue produced in each leach step in a successive leach step, and recovering metal from the exit leach liquor produced in each leach step, and wherein the two or more leach steps comprise two or more of the following:
- a) a pressure oxidation leach in acid sulphate media with oxygen injection which extracts zinc from sphalerite (ZnS) in the sulphide ore or concentrate or the solid residue of a previous leach step;
- b) a mixed chloride-sulphate leach which extracts copper from refractory sulphide minerals in the sulphide ore or concentrate or the solid residue of a previous leach step;
- c) a halogen extraction leach which extracts copper, silver and gold from the sulphide ore or concentrate or the solid residue of a previous leach step;
- and
- d) an oxidative acid sulphate high pressure leach carried out at over 200° C. which converts to sulphate much of the sulphur present in the sulphide ore or concentrate or the solid residue of a previous leach step and extracts copper and zinc.
A hydrometallurgical process for extracting copper and any one or more than one of zinc, silver and gold from a sulphide ore or concentrate which includes a range of mineral species that contain copper and one or more than one of zinc, silver and gold, which process includes two or more than two leach steps using leach liquors of different composition, each leach step selectively leaching one or more than one metal from the minerals, separating a solid residue and an exit leach liquor after each leach step, leaching the solid residue produced in each leach step in a successive leach step, and recovering metal from the exit leach liquor produced in each leach step, and wherein two of the leach steps comprise:
- a) a ferric sulphate leach which extracts copper from chalcocite (Cu2S) in the sulphide ore or concentrate or the solid residue of a previous leach step;
- b) a pressure oxidation leach in acid sulphate media with oxygen injection which extracts zinc from sphalerite (ZnS) in the sulphide ore or concentrate or the solid residue of a previous leach step;
- and the leach steps further comprise one or more of the following additional leach steps:
- c) a halogen extraction leach which extracts copper, silver and gold from the sulphide ore or concentrate or the solid residue of a previous leach step;
- and
- d) an oxidative acid sulphate high pressure leach carried out at over 200° C. which converts to sulphate much of the sulphur present in the sulphide ore or concentrate or the solid residue of a previous leach step and extracts copper and zinc.
The process defined in claim 78 includes recovering zinc from the exit leach liquor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.