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US 9,790,572 B2Granted
Co-current and counter current resin-in-leach in gold leaching processes
AssigneeBarrick Gold Corporation
InventorsYeonuk Choi, Samir Chefai
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and system are provided in which a gold and/or silver-collecting resin-in-leach circuit comprises both co-current and counter-current sections.
Claims29
A leaching system, comprising:
- a plurality of N tanks wherein N is an integer greater than or equal to four, the plurality of N tanks consisting of a co-current portion and a counter-current portion, the co-current portion comprising at least a first tank and a second tank and the counter-current portion comprising at least a third tank and a fourth tank;
- a fluid flow apparatus that directs a first inputted ion exchange resin stream into the first tank;
- a fluid flow apparatus that directs a thiosulfate stream into the first tank;
- a fluid flow apparatus that directs a gold- and/or silver-containing material stream into the first tank;
- a fluid flow apparatus that directs a first mixed slurry stream out of the first tank and into the second tank;
- a fluid flow apparatus that directs a first gold- and/or silver-loaded resin stream out of the second tank;
- a fluid flow apparatus that directs a second mixed slurry stream out of the second tank and into the third tank;
- a fluid flow apparatus that directs a second inputted ion exchange resin stream out of the fourth tank and into the third tank along a flow path that runs through successive tanks at least from the fourth tank to the third tank;
- a fluid flow apparatus that directs a second gold- and/or silver-loaded resin stream out of the third tank;
- a fluid flow apparatus that directs a third mixed slurry stream out of the third tank and into the fourth tank along a flow path that runs through successive tanks at least from the third tank to the fourth tank;
- a fluid flow apparatus that directs the second inputted ion exchange resin stream into the fourth tank;
- and
- a fluid flow apparatus that directs a barren tailings stream out of the fourth tank.
10 more elements
A leaching system, comprising:
- a plurality of N tanks wherein N is an integer greater than or equal to four, the plurality of N tanks consisting of a co-current portion and a counter-current portion, the co-current portion comprising at least a first tank and a second tank and the counter-current portion comprising at least a third tank and a fourth tank,
- wherein the first tank comprises at least one inlet apparatus and at least one outlet apparatus, the at least one inlet apparatus of the first tank directing a first inputted ion exchange resin stream, a thiosulfate stream, and a gold- and/or silver-containing material stream into the first tank, and the at least one outlet apparatus of the first tank directing a first mixed slurry stream out of the first tank,
- wherein the second tank comprises at least one inlet apparatus and at least one outlet apparatus, the at least one inlet apparatus of the second tank being in direct fluid communication with the at least one outlet apparatus of the first tank and directing the first mixed slurry stream into the second tank, and the at least one outlet apparatus of the second tank directing a first gold- and/or silver-loaded resin stream and a second mixed slurry stream out of the second tank,
- wherein the third tank comprises at least first and second inlet apparatuses and at least one outlet apparatus, the first inlet apparatus of the third tank being in direct fluid communication with the at least one outlet apparatus of the second tank and directing the second mixed slurry stream into the third tank, the second inlet apparatus of the third tank directing a second inputted ion exchange resin stream into the third tank, and the at least one outlet apparatus of the third tank directing a second gold- and/or silver-loaded resin stream and a third mixed slurry stream out of the third tank, and
- wherein the fourth tank comprises at least first and second inlet apparatuses and at least first and second outlet apparatuses, the first inlet apparatus of the fourth tank being in direct fluid communication with the at least one outlet apparatus of the third tank and directing the third mixed slurry stream into the fourth tank, the second inlet apparatus of the fourth tank directing the second inputted ion exchange resin stream into the fourth tank, the first outlet apparatus of the fourth tank being in direct fluid communication with the second inlet apparatus of the third tank and directing the second inputted ion exchange resin stream out of the fourth tank, and the second outlet apparatus of the fourth tank directing a barren tailings stream out of the fourth tank.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.