Method for recovering metal values from refractory sulfide ore
AssigneeGeobiotics, Inc.
InventorWilliam J. Kohr
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for recovering metal values from refractory sulfide ores is provided. The method includes the steps of separating clays and fines from crushed refractory sulfide ore, forming a heap from the refractory sulfide ore, producing a concentrate of refractory sulfide minerals from the separated fines and adding the concentrate to the heap, bioleaching the heap to thereby oxidize iron sulfides contained therein, and hydrometallurgically treating the bioleached ore to recover metal values contained therein.
Claims10
A method for recovering metal values from a sulfide ore, the method comprising:
- a. crushing the refractory sulfide ore to a size in the range of approximately 0.25 inch to 1 inch;
- b. separating the crushed refractory sulfide ore into a fines fraction and a coarse fraction;
- c. forming a heap with the coarse fraction of the refractory sulfide ore;
- d. producing a concentrate of refractory sulfide minerals from the fines fraction;
- e. adding the concentrate to the heap;
- f. biooxidizing the ore in heap, including the concentrate of sulfide mineral particles;
- and
- g. leaching precious metal values from the biooxidized sulfide mineral particles.
A method for recovering metal values from a sulfide ore, the method comprising:
- a. crushing the refractory sulfide ore to a size in the range of approximately 0.25 inch to 1 inch;
- b. separating the crushed refractory sulfide ore into a fines fraction and a coarse fraction;
- c. forming a heap with the coarse fraction of the refractory sulfide ore;
- d. producing a concentrate of refractory sulfide minerals from the fines fraction;
- e. adding the concentrate to the heap;
- f. biooxidizing the ore in heap, including the concentrate of sulfide mineral particles;
- g. leaching metal values from the biooxidized ore;
- and
- h. recovering metal values leached from the ore.
A method for recovering metal values from a concentrate of sulfide mineral particles prepared from refractory sulfide ore, the method comprising:
- a. adding the concentrate of sulfide mineral particles to a heap of support material having a partial size in the range of approximately 0.25 inch to 1.0 inch;
- b. biooxidizing the concentrate of sulfide mineral particles;
- c. leaching metal values from the biooxidized sulfide mineral particles;
- and
- d. recovering metal values leached from the biooxidized sulfide mineral particles.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.