Heap leaching of sulphide ores
US8119085B2 · kind B2 · utility
2Cited by
6References
28Claims
0Family size
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 17, 2006 |
| Grant date | Feb 21, 2012 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 11, 2028 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10S423/17
- WIPO fieldMaterials, metallurgy
- WIPO sectorChemistry
Abstract
A process for the heap leaching of multiple ores, the process characterized by the process steps of: (i) the agglomeration or wetting of an ore feed; (ii) exposing the agglomerated or wetted ore to an inoculum containing one or more bacterial species capable of biooxidizing sulphide minerals in that ore; (iii) forming one or more heaps from the ore of step (ii); (iv) dispersing further bacterial inoculum over at least a portion of the or each heap; and (v) recovering leach solution draining from the heap and passing a portion thereof to a means for metal recovery.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.