C - Chemistry – Metallurgy – 22 – B
Patent
C - Chemistry, Metallurgy
22
B
C22B 3/14 (2006.01) C22B 3/46 (2006.01)
Patent
CA 2070315
ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The process is a hydrometallurgical process consisting of two parts: a leaching process conducted at temperatures in the range of 115 to 120 C and at slightly below one atmosphere in which a concentrate (or very rich ore) is subjected to a solution of 50% by volume sulfuric acid and 3 M ammonium nitrate for 10 to 20 minutes (in the batch operation). Most of the Fe present is deposited as an iron ammonium sulfate, the copper as cuprous ammonium sulfate, the arsenic as arsenious oxide, about 2/3 of the sulfur as flowers of sulfur, the silver as silver sulfate, the gold in the metallic state. The hot solution contains all of the Zn, about 1/2 of the Fe and a small amount of the copper as well as any Ni, Co, Mo etc. The solution is cooled in an open heat exchanger (the excess heat returned to the leach tank) some water is evaporated and the wash water from the tailings added before the Zn electrowinning stage. The electrowinning also reoxidizes the nitrogen oxides to nitrate ion and the barren solution is returned to the leach tanks. The remaining Fe, S, Cu, Ag, Au and As are selectively solubilized for separating. The uniqueness of the process is that the Zn electrowinning reoxidizes the nitrate and does not require elimination of nitrate, the copper is electrowon separately and up to 1/2 of the copper is produced as copper powder, the other 50% is electrowon for a saving of about one half the power and any other metal, precious, or base can be separately treated, plus no polluting effluents are released.
O'brien Robert N.
R. William Wray & Associates
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