US 8,469,196 B2Granted

Method and apparatus for separating metal values

AssigneeWave Separation Technologies LLC

InventorStephen Birken

Life of this patent

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Abstract

Methods and apparatuses for separating metal values, such as nickel and nickel compounds, from mineral ores, including lateritic ores are disclosed. The method includes providing a mixture of particles (e.g., crushed and sized ore) that is composed of at least a first group of particles and a second group of particles. Group members have similar chemical composition, while particles belonging to different groups have dissimilar chemical compositions. The mixture of particles is concurrently, or generally concurrently, heated (using microwave/millimeter wave energy) and exposed to a reactant. The wave energy and the reactant act to increase the difference in either the magnetic susceptibility or other separation properties between the first and second group of particles. The mixture of particles is then passed through an appropriate separator to separate the particles of interest. Optional steps are disclosed for purifying selected particles. The reactant includes sulfur, sulfur compounds, halogens, or halogen compounds.

Claims8

Dependent claims

An apparatus for separating components of a mixture of particles, the apparatus comprising:

a vessel having an interior for containing the mixture of particles during processing,
an energy system coupled to and disposed within the vessel for directly exposing the mixture of particles within the interior of the vessel to microwave/millimeter wave energy,
a reactant system for exposing the mixture of particles to a reactant,
a separator for separating particles, wherein the separator includes
a first portion arranged within the interior of the vessel, and
a second portion arranged exterior of the vessel, wherein the first portion includes
a magnetic separator for diverting magnetic particles away from non-magnetic particles, wherein the second portion includes
a first exterior separator portion, and
a second exterior separator portion, wherein the first exterior separator portion includes a leach cycle, wherein the second exterior separator portion includes a flotation separator, wherein the flotation separator separates the magnetic particles into a first group of particles and a second group of particles, wherein the first group of particles are passed to a first leach cycle of the second exterior portion, wherein the second group of particles are passed to a second leach cycle of the second exterior portion.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 12/500,103Filed 9 Jul 2009 · division
Priority: 22 Feb 2002
Published: US 2009/0267275 A129 Oct 2009
Granted: 25 Jun 2013
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification16 codes

B03C 1/02
Magnetic separation: acting directly on the substance being separated
B03C 1/005
Magnetic separation: pretreatment specially adapted for magnetic separation
B03C 1/025
Acting directly on the substance being separated: high gradient magnetic separators
B03C 1/32
Magnetic separation: acting on the medium containing the substance being separated, e.g. magneto-gravimetric-, magnetohydrostatic-, or…

Family

Application10/080,773Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 22 Feb 2002
Application10/951,935Parent of this division · filed 28 Sep 2004
US 2009/0267275 A1Pre-grant publication · published 29 Oct 2009
US 7,571,814 B2Parent of this division
US 6,923,328 B2Parent of this continuation-in-part
Application10/951,935Parent of this continuation-in-part
US 2004/0258591 A1Published application
US 2005/0092657 A1Published application
US 8,469,196 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.