Process for recovering platinum group metals from material containing base metals
AssigneePlacer Dome Technical Services Limited
InventorJames A. King
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The process of the present invention recovers platinum group metal(s), such as platinum and palladium, from PGM-containing materials containing base metals, such as copper and nickel. The process controls sulfur levels by using solvent extraction 306 to remove acid in the nickel recovery circuit. The acid product 326 can then be neutralized and/or recycled as desired.
Claims34
A process for recovering at least one platinum group metal (PGM) and nickel from a material containing the at least one PGM and nickel, comprising:
- melting at least a portion of the material to form a furnace matte comprising at least most of the at least one PGM and the nickel in the at least a portion of the material and a furnace slag;
- contacting at least a portion of the furnace matte with an acid-containing lixiviant to form a pregnant leach solution comprising at least most of the nickel in the at least a portion of the furnace matte and a leach residue comprising at least most of the at least one PGM in the at least a portion of the furnace matte;
- electrowinning the nickel from at least one of the pregnant leach solution and a rich electrolyte derived therefrom to form a first product comprising at least most of the nickel in the at least a portion of the pregnant leach solution and a lean electrolyte comprising acid;
- solvent extracting at least a portion of the acid in at least one of the lean electrolyte, rich electrolyte, and pregnant leach solution to form an acid product and a treated electrolyte;
- and
- recovering at least most of the at least one PGM in the leach residue.
A process for recovering at least platinum group metal (PGM) and nickel from a material containing the at least one PGM and the at least one of copper and nickel, comprising:
- (a) forming at least a portion of the material into a furnace matte comprising at least most of the at least one PGM and the nickel in the at least a portion of the material and a furnace slag, wherein the furnace slag is from about 50 to about 95 wt % of the at least a portion of the material;
- (b) leaching with an acid-containing lixiviant at least a portion of the furnace matte to form a first pregnant leach solution comprising at least most of the nickel in the at least a portion of the furnace matte and a first leach residue comprising at least most of the at least one PGM in the at least a portion of the furnace matte;
- (c) recovering the nickel from the first pregnant leach solution to form a first product comprising at least most of the nickel in the at least a portion of the first pregnant leach solution and an acid-containing lean solution;
- (d) removing at least a portion of the acid from at least most of the lean solution to form an acid product and a treated lean solution;
- (e) forming at least a portion of the acid product into a salt;
- and
- (f) recovering at least most of the at least one PGM in the first leach residue.
A system for recovering at least platinum group metal (PGM) and nickel from a material containing the at least one PGM and nickel, comprising:
- (a) first forming means for forming at least a portion of the material into a furnace matte comprising at least most of the at least one PGM and nickel in the at least a portion of the material and a furnace slag, wherein the furnace slag is from about 50 to about 75 wt % of the at least a portion of the material;
- (b) leaching means for leaching with an acid-containing lixiviant at least a portion of the furnace matte to form a first pregnant leach solution comprising at least most of the nickel in the at least a portion of the furnace matte and a first leach residue comprising at least most of the at least one PGM in the at least a portion of the furnace matte;
- (c) first recovering means for recovering the nickel from at least a portion of the first pregnant leach solution to form a first product comprising at least most of the nickel in the at least a portion of the first pregnant leach solution and a lean solution comprising at least most of the acid in the at least a portion of the first pregnant leach solution;
- (d) removing means for removing at least a portion of the acid from at least most of the lean solution to form an acid product and a treated lean solution;
- (e) second forming means for forming at least a portion of the acid product into a salt;
- and
- (f) second recovering means for recovering at least most of the at least one PGM in the first leach residue.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.