Microwave treatment of ores
AssigneeTechnological Resources Pty. Limited
InventorsRobin John Batterham, Lucy Esdaile, Raymond Walter Shaw, Christopher Robin Cross
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of treating ore particles to facilitate subsequent processing of the ore particles to recover valuable components from the ore is disclosed. The method includes exposing the ore particles to microwave energy and causing structural alteration of the ore particles. In one embodiment structural alteration is achieve without significantly altering the mineralogy, i.e., composition, of the ore. In another embodiment structural alteration is achieved with minimal change to the sizes of the ore particles. In another embodiment the method includes exposing the ore particles to short duration, high energy pulses of microwave energy.
Claims14
A method of treating ore with microwave energy to facilitate subsequent processing of the ore, comprising the steps of:
- a) supplying the ore to a primary crusher and crushing the ore;
- b) discharging crushed ore particles from the primary crusher and feeding crushed ore particles with a major dimension of 15 cm or less to a microwave energy treatment station, having a microwave energy generator;
- c) exposing the ore particles while passing through the microwave energy treatment station to high energy pulses of microwave energy substantially above 1 kW with each pulse being less than 0.1 sec to produce micro-cracking within the ore particles without catastrophic destruction of the ore particles;
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- d) thereafter feeding the microwave-exposed ore particles to a heap leach or a comminution station.
A method of treating ore with microwave energy to facilitate subsequent processing of the ore, comprising the steps of:
- a) supplying the ore to a primary crusher and crushing the ore;
- b) discharging crushed ore particles from the primary crusher and feeding crushed ore particles with a major dimension of 15 cm or less to a microwave energy treatment station, having a microwave energy generator;
- c) exposing the ore particles while passing through the microwave energy treatment station to high energy pulses of microwave energy substantially above 1 kW with each pulse being less than 0.001 sec to produce micro-cracking within the ore particles without catastrophic destruction of the ore particles;
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- d) thereafter feeding the microwave-exposed ore particles to a heap leach or a comminution station.
A method of treating ore particles of 15 cm or less with microwave energy to facilitate subsequent processing of the ore in which the ore particles are exposed, while passing through a microwave energy treatment station, to high energy pulses of microwave energy substantially above 1 kW with each pulse being less than 0.001 sec to produce micro-cracking within the ore particles without catastrophic destruction of the ore particles.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.