# US 8,540,951 B2 · Process for extracting metals from aluminoferrous titanoferrous ores and residues > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,540,951 B2 - Document ID: US8540951B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/807,031 - Filed: 2011-06-06 - Published: 2013-04-25 - Granted: 2013-09-24 - Earliest claimed: 2010-06-30 - Applicants: Keki Hormusji Gharda - Inventors: Keki Hormusji Gharda - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8540951B2 ## CPC - C21B 13/0006: {obtaining iron or steel in a molten state} - C01F 7/02: Aluminium oxide; Aluminium hydroxide; Aluminates - C21B 13/006: {Starting from ores containing non ferrous metallic oxides} - C22B 1/24: Binding; Briquetting {; Granulating} - C22B 1/2406: {pelletizing} - C22B 1/245: with carbonaceous material for the production of coked agglomerates - C22B 5/06: by carbides or the like - C22B 5/10: by solid carbonaceous reducing agents - C22B 7/002: {by treating with halogens, sulfur or compounds thereof; by carburising, by treating with hydrogen (hydriding)} - C22B 21/0038: {by other processes (electrolysis C25C; C22B21/02 and C22B21/04 take precedence)} - C22B 21/0053: {from other aluminium compounds} - C22B 34/1209: {by dry processes, e.g. with selective chlorination of iron or with formation of a titanium bearing slag} - Y02P 10/20: Recycling - C21B: MANUFACTURE OF IRON OR STEEL (preliminary treatment of ferrous ores or scrap C22B1/00) - C01F: COMPOUNDS OF THE METALS BERYLLIUM, MAGNESIUM, ALUMINIUM, CALCIUM, STRONTIUM, BARIUM, RADIUM, THORIUM, OR OF THE RARE-EARTH METALS (metal hydrides {monoborane, diborane or addition complexes thereof} C01B6/00; salts of oxyacids of halogens C01B11/00; peroxides, salts of peroxyacids C01B15/00; sulfides or polysulfides of magnesium, calcium, strontium, or barium C01B17/42; thiosulfates, dithionites, polythionates C01B17/64; compounds containing selenium or tellurium C01B19/00; binary compounds of nitrogen with metals C01B21/06; azides C01B21/08; {compounds other than ammonia or cyanogen containing nitrogen and non-metals and optionally metals C01B21/082; amides or imides of silicon C01B21/087}; metal {imides or} amides C01B21/092, {C01B21/0923}; nitrites C01B21/50; {compounds of noble gases C01B23/0005}; phosphides C01B25/08; salts of oxyacids of phosphorus C01B25/16; carbides C01B32/90; compounds containing silicon C01B33/00; compounds containing boron C01B35/00; compounds having molecular sieve properties but not having base-exchange properties C01B37/00; compounds having molecular sieve and base-exchange properties, e.g. crystalline zeolites, C01B39/00; cyanides C01C3/08; salts of cyanic acid C01C3/14; salts of cyanamide C01C3/16; thiocyanates C01C3/20; {double sulfates of magnesium with sodium or potassium C01D5/12; with other alkali metals C01D15/00, C01D17/00}) - C22B: PRODUCTION AND REFINING OF METALS (electrolytic C25); PRETREATMENT OF RAW MATERIALS - Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS ## Abstract A process for extracting metal values from ores or residues is disclosed. The process mentioned above is mainly suitable for aluminoferrous ores such as bauxite, titanoferrous ores such as ilmenite, or residues such as red mud waste. The process involves pulverizing the ore and/or residue and mixing with a carbonaceous material, followed by smelting the iron values and slag in the mixture to yield molten iron and oxides of aluminum and titanium. The process is simple, cost-effective, and provides effective extraction of high purity metal values. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A process for extracting from a mineral material, which is an ore, a residue, or a mixture thereof, iron value and at least one metal value selected from the group consisting of aluminum, titanium, sodium, calcium, and, silicon, said process comprising the steps of: pulverizing said mineral material to a particle size in the range of 5-500μ, to obtain a pulverized material; combining said pulverized material with a carbonaceous material to obtain a resultant mixture, wherein, the ratio of said pulverized material to said carbonaceous material is in the range of 88:12-95:5; moulding said resultant mixture to obtain a formed material in a form selected from the group consisting of pellets, lumps, and briquettes; smelting, at least partly, metal and slag in said formed material, to separate the iron values along with the slag containing at least one metal value selected from the group consisting of aluminum, titanium, calcium, sodium, and silicon; and separating the iron values from the slag. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein said carbonaceous material is selected from the group consisting of wood, charcoal, coke, semi-coke, coal, biomass, char, fuel oil, and natural gas. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the carbonaceous material is char obtained from coal pyrolysis. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of smelting said formed material is carried out in a shaft furnace by burning with air at a temperature ranging from 1200 to 1800° C. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The process as claimed in claim 4, wherein the step of smelting said formed material is carried out in the presence of hot reducing gases. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mineral material is at least one selected from the group consisting of bauxite, ilmenite, and red mud. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The process as claimed in claim 1, which includes the step of adding a slag-forming agent to said pulverized material, wherein, said slag-forming agent is selected from the group consisting of soda ash, lime, lime stone, dolomite, and an alkali source. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The process as claimed in claim 1, which includes a step of pyrolysis of said carbonaceous material. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the separated iron values are in a form selected from the group consisting of molten iron and iron carbide. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The process as claimed in claim 1, which includes a step of separating at least one metal value selected from the group consisting of oxides of aluminum, titanium and silicon, and alkali salts of calcium and sodium, from the slag. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The process as claimed in claim 10, which includes a step of processing the slag comprising the metal oxides by: (i) mild pulverization, (ii) air classification, and (iii) magnetic separation, to further separate iron values therefrom. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The process as claimed in claim 11, which includes a step of further processing the slag comprising the metal oxides by: (i) carbo-chlorination of the oxides with additional said carbonaceous material in a fluidized bed reactor to obtain metal chlorides, and (ii) extracting and purifying the metal chlorides. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of smelting said formed material is carried out in a shaft furnace by burning with enriched air at a temperature ranging from 1200 to 1800° C. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The process as claim in claim 1, wherein the step of smelting said formed material is carried out in a shaft furnace by burning with oxygen at a temperature ranging from 1200 to 1800° C. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The process as claimed in claim 1, which includes a step of charring of said carbonaceous material.