Patent · US Expired

Electrokinetic leaching

US5626739A · kind A · utility

1Cited by
5References
17Claims
0Family size

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateFeb 27, 1995
Grant dateMay 6, 1997
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 27, 2015

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY02P10/20
  • WIPO fieldChemical engineering
  • WIPO sectorChemistry

Abstract

A method of treating a solid material containing a substance of economic importance so as to recover or extract the substance from the material involving the following: forming a conducting mixture of the solid with a liquid so that at least some of the substance of economic importance is dissolved in the liquid, applying an electrical potential difference between at least two electrodes in contact with the mixture at spaced apart locations so as to impart opposite charges to the respective electrodes thereby attracting the liquid containing the dissolved substance to one of the electrodes, removing the liquid from an area surrounding or from a vicinity of the one electrode, and treating the liquid containing the substance of economic importance so as to recover or extract the substance. The liquid used is at least partially conducting. The present method is particularly useful for extracting or recovering gold from gold-containing or gold bearing ores.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.