Patent · US Expired

Hydrometallurgical process for recovering copper and other metal values from metal sulphides

US4097271A · kind A · utility

32Cited by
10References
19Claims
0Family size

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Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateNov 12, 1976
Grant dateJun 27, 1978
Priority date
Expiry dateNov 12, 1996

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY02P10/20
  • WIPO fieldMaterials, metallurgy
  • WIPO sectorChemistry

Abstract

A hydrometallurgical process for the separate recovery of non-ferrous, ferrous, and precious metal values and sulfur from metal sulfide ore concentrates by leaching of metal sulfides with a lixiviant containing ferric chloride, cupric chloride and chlorine, precipitating cuprous chloride from the leach solution with butadiene, separating and decomposing the formed addition compound to recover the cuprous chloride, oxidizing and hydrolyzing the cuprous chloride to precipitate cupric oxychloride, converting the cupric oxychloride to cupric oxide, and reducing the cupric oxide with hydrogen for the recovery of copper. The leach residue is treated for the recovery of elemental sulfur and gold. Brine solution resulting from the conversion of cupric oxychloride to cupric oxide is electrolyzed for the production of sodium hydroxide for the cupric oxychloride conversion, hydrogen for the cupric oxide reduction and chlorine, which is partly used in the recovery of gold and partly recycled to the concentrate leach. Silver is recovered as silver iodide from the mother liquor from the cuprous chloride precipitation with butadiene. A portion of the solution from the silver recovery is treated f…

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