Method of acid leaching of silicates

US4367215A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• ELKEM AS · NO

Inventors

• Norvald Gjelsvik · Oslo, NO
• Jan Torgersen · Lillestrøm, NO

Key dates

• Filing date: Dec 3, 1980
• Grant date: Jan 4, 1983
• Expiry date: Dec 3, 2000

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y02P10/20
• WIPO field: Materials, metallurgy
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

A method of leaching of the metal contents in natural silicates by means of mineral acids to produce a metal-containing leaching liquid and a solid residue is disclosed. The silicate is first crushed but the grain size of substantially all of it is kept above 0.1 mm. It is then leached for a period of time sufficient to form a solid residue consisting chiefly of silica. The process is controlled so that the grains do not change in size or shape in the course of the leaching process. The silicate to be leached may be anorthosite or olivinrich rock and the solid residue from the leaching process may be utilized for building material, as a source for silicon in industrial processes, as a catalyst or carrier of catalysts or as an absorbent.