Organic compounds -- part of the class 532-570 series – Organic compounds – Heavy metal containing
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-30
2001-06-05
Nazario-Gonzalez, Porfirio (Department: 1621)
Organic compounds -- part of the class 532-570 series
Organic compounds
Heavy metal containing
C556S113000, C423S024000, C423S027000, C210S634000, C210S688000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06242625
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to the extraction of copper values from copper- containing ores.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In the recovery of metals from metal ores, it is of course highly desirable to recover as much of the metal as is economically feasible from the ore.
In typical copper solvent extraction circuits copper recovery is about 90% where all of the raffinate (stripped aqueous acid leach solution) is recycled back to the leaching step for leaching the copper values from the copper ore.
However, in some plants using a copper extraction circuit a raffinate bleed must be removed to control the build up of impurities or to recover some other valuable metal such as cobalt. There are also plants where some of the raffinate recycled to the leaching step is lost, e.g. in agitation leach plants.
In the above plants it is desirable and even essential to recover a very high percentage of copper from the raffinate bleed stream and/or the raffinate used in recycling.
Several methods have been proposed to accomplish this, but such methods, e.g., acid neutralization of the bleed stream or high organic phase to aqueous phase ratios are not economically feasible.
There is accordingly, a strong need for a simple and economical process for reducing the concentration of copper in the raffinate or in the raffinate bleed stream, especially where a high copper content is present in the copper-pregnant acid leach solution.
The present inventor has discovered such a process.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present process relates to a copper extraction circuit for extracting copper values from copper ores in which the extraction circuit comprises an aqueous acid leach solution for leaching the copper values from the ore, a water immiscible organic solvent solution containing a copper extractant to extract the copper values from the aqueous leach solution, a concentrated aqueous acid strip solution for stripping the copper values from the organic solvent solution, and means for the recovery of the copper from the pregnant strip solution.
The present invention comprises contacting the stripped organic solvent solution, before recycling this solution back into the extraction circuit, with aqueous acid to remove additional copper values therefrom, and then adding the aqueous acid containing the additional copper values to the raffinate recycled to the leaching step, to the tankhouse as acid makeup, to the spent electrolyte solution used to strip copper from the loaded organic phase in the main copper SX circuit, or a portion thereof to two or more of the above solutions.
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Drach John E.
Henkel Corporation
Millson, Jr. Henry E.
Nazario-Gonzalez Porfirio
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