ph adjusted, controlled-iron-content, cyclic leaching processes for copperbearing rock materials

Claim 1

A CYCLIC LEACHING PROCESS FOR RECOVERING COPPER AND OTHER VALUES FROM COPPER-BEARING ROCK MATERIAL CONTAINING BOTH OXIDE AND SULFIDE COPPER MINERALS ALONG WITH ALUMINO-SILICATES AND IRON COMPOUNDS, COMPRISING THE STEPS OF PASSING AN ACIDIC, AQUEOUS, FERRIC SULFATE, LEACH SOLUTION THROUGH A MASS OF SAID MATERIALS; STRIPPING COPPER FROM THE EFFLUENT LEACH SOLUTION; DIVIDING THE STRIPPED LEACH SOLUTION INTO TWO PARTS; HYDROLYZING AND PRECIPITATING IRON IN THE FORM OF BASIC IRON SULFATE FROM ONE OF SAID PARTS OF THE STRIPPED LEACH SOLUTION; HYDROLYZING AND PRECIPITATING ALUMINA IN THE FORM OF BASIC ALUMINUM SULFATE FROM THE OTHER OF SAID PARTS OF THE STRIPPED SOLUTION, WITH COINCIDENTAL LOWERING OF THE PH THEREOF;