US4016056A — Method of obtaining copper from sulphurized conce…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 206 words

A method for obtaining electrolytic copper and other useful metals from sulphurized concentrates, comprising, in combination, the following stages: a. lixiviating said sulphurized concentrate with an aqueous solution containing cupric chloride formed in situ, at least in part, by oxidation, by introducing hydrochloric acid and air into the cuprous chloride solution resulting from lixiviation; b. partially extracting the copper contained in the lixiviation solution resulting from stage a), by contacting said lixiviation solution with an organic extractant containing a cationic solution, said extraction being accompanied by oxidation by injecting air into said lixiviation solution; c. re-extracting the copper contained in said organic extractant by contacting said organic extractant with an aqueous solution of sulphuric acid and recycling the organic extractant to the extraction stage b); and d. electrolyzing the copper sulphate obtained in stage c), to yield copper and an aqueous solution of sulphuric acid which is recycled to the re-extraction stage (c), at least part of the aqueous solution, which results from the partial copper extraction stage (b), being recycled to the lixiviation stage (a) and constituting a part of said cupric chloride solution, the other part of said aqueous solution being treated to recover the useful metals and the hydrochloric acid that it contains.

Claim 2

Independent Claim 206 words

A method for obtaining electrolytic copper and other useful metals from sulphurized concentrates, comprising, in combination, the following stages: a. lixiviating said sulphurized concentrate with an aqueous solution containing cupric chloride formed in situ, at least in part, by oxidation, by introducing hydrochloric acid and air into the cuprous chloride solution resulting from lixiviation; b. partially extracting the copper contained in the lixiviation solution resulting from stage a), by contacting said lixiviation solution with an organic extractant containing a cationic solution, said extraction being accompanied by oxidation by injecting air into said lixiviation solution; c. re-extracting the copper contained in said organic extractant by contacting said organic extractant with an aqueous solution of sulphuric acid and recycling the organic extractant to the extraction stage b); and d. electrolyzing the copper sulphate obtained in stage c), to yield copper and an aqueous solution of sulphuric acid which is recycled to the re-extraction stage (c), at least part of the aqueous solution, which results from the partial copper extraction stage (b), being recycled to the lixiviation stage (a) and constituting a part of said cupric chloride solution, the other part of said aqueous solution being treated to recover the useful metals and the hydrochloric acid that it contains.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 26 words

A method according to claim 1, in which the temperature of said lixiviation solution is higher than 50° C and its pH-value is at most 1.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 28 words

A method according to claim 2, in which the temperature of said lixiviation solution is between 90° and 105° C and its pH-value is between 0 and 1.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 36 words

A method according to claim 1, in which said aqueous cupric chloride solution also contains an agent for solubilizing cuprous chloride selected from the group consisting of alkaline chlorides, alkaline-earth chlorides, ammonium chloride and ferrous chloride.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 24 words

A method according to claim 4, in which said solubilizing agent is sodium chloride used in an amount of between 100 and 300 g/l.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 68 words

A method according to claim 1, in which the part of the aqueous phase resulting from the extraction stage b) that is not recycled to the lixiviation stage a) is treated to recover, at least partially, the metals that it contains, with the exception of iron, and is then subjected to pyrohydrolysis to produce iron oxide and hydrochloric acid, the latter being recycled to the lixiviation stage a).

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 22 words

A method according to claim 1, in which said aqueous lixiviation solution also contains at least 50 grammes of iron per liter.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 22 words

A method according to claim 1, in which said aqueous lixiviation solution has an oxido-reduction potential of between 500 and 800 millivolts.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 20 words

A method according to claim 1, in which said lixiviation solution contains 10 to 50 grammes of copper per liter.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 130 words

A method according to claim 1, in which said lixiviation stage a) is carried out in a reaction vessel which comprises in combination, two compartments interconnected at their bottom by a passage, a stirring means in each compartment, a decanter, an overflow at the top of the first of said compartments, which overflow runs into said decanter, and pipes connecting the upper part of the second of said compartments to the decanter and to means for extracting the aqueous solution after lixiviation, said decanter being provided at its base with a means for evacuating the solid products, the first of said compartments having at its lower part a pipe for delivering said cuprous chloride solution and the second of said compartments having air-injection pipes and pipes for introducing hydrochloric acid.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 34 words

A method according to claim 1, in which said extraction stage b) is achieved by means of at least one mixing and decanting apparatus, and said air injection takes place in said mixing compartment.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 59 words

A method according to claim 1, in which said extraction stage (b) is achieved by means of at least a pair of mixing and decanting apparatuses, and said air injection takes place in an exterior oxidation reaction vessel through which passes the aqueous solution which flows from one to the other of said pair of mixing and decanting apparatuses.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 30 words

A method according to claim 1, in which said stage b) for the partial extraction of the copper is carried out at a temperature of between 30° and 60° C.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 51 words

A method according to claim 1, in which said stage b) for the partial extraction of the copper is carried out at a pH-value of between about 0 and 1, the ratio of the volume of the organic phase to that of the aqueous phase being between about 0.5 and 5.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 33 words

A method according to claim 1, in which said organic extrantant containing a cationic solvent is washed with water following the re-extraction stage (c) and prior to recycling to the extraction stage (b).

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 26 words

A method according to claim 1, in which said copper sulphate solution contains 20 to 100 grammes of copper per liter at the electrolysis stage (d).

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1980-04-04	1980-10-04	1981-04-05	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1984-04-04	1984-10-04	1985-04-05	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1988-04-04	1988-10-04	1989-04-05	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Method of obtaining copper from sulphurized concentrates

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