Specialized metallurgical processes – compositions for use therei – Processes – Free metal or alloy reductant contains magnesium
Patent
1995-06-06
1997-02-25
Simmons, David A.
Specialized metallurgical processes, compositions for use therei
Processes
Free metal or alloy reductant contains magnesium
210684, 423 22, 423 24, 423100, C22B 342
Patent
active
056055633
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The present invention generally relates to processes which exploit ion exchange materials for recovering precious metal values (e.g. gold) from an (aqueous) cyanide solution which contains impurities such as copper; in addition to copper the aqueous cyanide solution may also contain other base metal impurities such as, iron, zinc, nickel, and the like. Such a solution may, for example, be obtained from a process which involves leaching precious metal values from a metal-bearing material such as an ore, slime, concentrate, tailings and the like; in such a process the metal-bearing material is contacted with a suitable (aqueous) cyanide solution to leach metal values therefrom and obtain a cyanide leach liquor comprising complex metal cyanides, e.g. of gold, silver, copper and the like. The leach liquor may then be contacted with a suitable ion exchange material so as to adsorb metal values and obtain an exchange material loaded with a mixture of precious metals and base metals.
The present invention, in particular, relates to the treatment of an ion exchange material loaded with a mixture of cyanide complexes of precious metal values and base metal values (i.e. copper) for the separation of base metal values from the precious metal values. The present invention, by way of example only, will be particularly described hereinafter in relation to an ion exchange material obtained from a cyanide leach circuit as indicated above. The metal loaded anion exchange material may, however, come from any other (cyanide) process which produces such a metal loaded exchange material; e.g. the anion exchange material instead of being used through the entire circuit for the recovery of precious metal may be used to treat barren liquor destined for a tailings pond. The present invention, more particularly, relates to the recovery of zinc values from an acidic solution containing hydrocyanic acid. The zinc is recovered as complex zinc cyanide anions which may, if desired, be recycled for the (selective) preliminary removal Or separation of adsorbed copper values from an (strong or weak base) anion exchange material, the anion exchange material additionally being loaded with adsorbed cyanide complexes of precious metal values such as gold and silver.
The invention, further relates to the recovery of cyanide values associated with copper cyanide complexes which are adsorbed on or taken up by an (strong or weak base) anion exchange material; the recovered cyanide values, for example, being available for recycling to a cyanide leach stage for leaching additional metal values from an ore or the like.
It is known to treat a material (e.g. ore) containing precious metals such as gold and.backslash.or silver with a (dilute) alkaline aqueous solution of sodium, potassium, calcium or other similar cyanides to dissolve out or leach the gold or silver as complex cyanide ions. It is also known that the obtained (dilute) alkaline aqueous solution, (which may be in slurry or pulp form) may be contacted with an insoluble anion exchange material (e.g. with strong base and.backslash.or weak base groups) to remove the complex precious metal cyanide ions from solution. The exchange material is separated from the cyanide leach solution and the barren leach solution is either sent to a tailings pond or, if desired, recycled to leach additional precious metals from the precious metal bearing material being treated. The metal values may, for example, be recovered from an anion exchange resin by contacting the metal loaded material with a desorption agent e.g. an alkali solution (pH 13 to 14) such as for example sodium hydroxide (see U.S. Pat. No. 2,648,601, the entire contents of which is incorporated herein by reference); it is also known, for example, to recycle the treated resin whereas the extraction liquor obtained is sent to a metal recovery station wherein the precious metals may be recovered in known fashion. U.S. Pat. No. 2,839,389 suggests the use of a weakly basic anion exchange resin to remove gold or silver from aqueous cyanide solution;
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Kidby Denis K.
Menne David M.
Huber Ann
Lorengo Jerry Allen
Simmons David A.
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