SORPTION COLUMN FOR EXTRACTING METALS BY HYDROMETALLURGICAL METHOD

Abstract

The utility model relates to the field of hydrometallurgy, namely to sorption columns for the extraction of rare and precious metals from saturated solutions by a hydrometallurgical method. The sorption column comprises a housing to which a cone-shaped element is mounted, wherein the walls of the housing extend beyond the junction zone of the housing and the cone-shaped element, and a false bottom is mounted inside the housing. The housing also contains support consoles mounted on the outside and reinforcing belts mounted on the outside in the upper, middle, and lower parts of the housing. Furthermore, the column comprises a productive solution inlet pipe mounted in the lateral part of the cone-shaped element below the level of the false bottom, and a saturated sorbent outlet pipe mounted in the lateral part of the cone-shaped element above the level of the false bottom, as well as a sorbent inlet unit and an overflow pipe mounted in the upper part of the housing.The technical result of the utility model consists in increasing the structural strength of the product. 6 clauses, 2 figs.

Description

[0001] The utility model relates to the field of hydrometallurgy, namely to sorption columns for extracting rare and precious metals from saturated solutions using the hydrometallurgical method.

[0002] A column is known from the prior art [WO2011064579A2, published 03.06.2011], including an elongated prismatic column having several flat longitudinally located walls that form a closed simple polygonal perimeter, wherein the internal angle between each wall that forms the polygonal perimeter is at least 120° and less than 180°, as well as a plurality of support platforms at several levels for supporting several stages of filler and a support structure extending inward from the perimeter of the column to its top with suspended tensile elements attached to the upper support structure and extending downward to support at least the internal structure of the column extending inside the walls of the column.

[0003] The disadvantage of this column is the use of suspended tensile elements to provide support for the internal structure of the column, which leads to a decrease in the rigidity of the structure and its susceptibility to dynamic loads that are inevitable during the operating cycles of the device. In addition, the implementation of the column walls in the form of a closed simple polygonal perimeter, on the one hand, ensures the rigidity of the column walls, but on the other hand, ensures their susceptibility to uneven loads from the inside, and the corners of the resulting structure act as stress concentrators, which reduces the final structural strength of the product.

[0004] The closest in technical essence is a combined adsorption column device [CN221917515U, published 10 / 29 / 2024], characterized by the presence of at least two hollow adsorption columns and a base, wherein at least two adsorption columns are detachably connected to each other in a lamination mode, at one of the upper ends of each adsorption column after lamination there is a main inlet for feeding liquid and an inlet for feeding solid particles, at one of the lower ends of each adsorption column there is an outlet for draining liquid, inside each adsorption column there is a sieve plate dividing the internal cavity of each adsorption column into upper and lower parts, and the main inlet for feeding liquid of each adsorption column is detachably connected to the outlet for draining liquid;the base is located on the ground, an opening is formed at one end of the base, the adsorption columns are stacked on top of each other, and a hole for draining liquid of the adsorption column, located at the lowest part, is in the opening of the base, wherein each adsorption column includes a cylindrical body with two open ends, as well as an end cover and a bottom cover, which are detachably connected to the two ends of the body, respectively, as well as a reinforced structure including a perpendicular fixed connection in each I-beam on the side wall of the adsorption column and connecting adjacent receiving elements between the I-beams of the adsorption column.

[0005] The main technical problem of the prototype is the implementation of the column in sections, which directly reduces the reliability of the system due to its structural complexity. In addition, the presence of a connection of two sections by means of I-beams and receiving elements tightening them in one plane causes unevenness of the tightening force of this type of connection and, as a result, the risk of loss of the tightness of the connection and loss of integrity of the structure, which reduces the final structural strength of the device.

[0006] The purpose of the utility model is to eliminate the shortcomings of the prototype.

[0007] The technical result of the utility model is to increase the structural strength of the product.

[0008] The specified technical result is achieved due to the fact that the sorption column contains a housing to which a cone-shaped element is mounted, wherein the walls of the housing are extended beyond the zone of connection of the housing and the cone-shaped element, and a false bottom is mounted inside the housing, wherein the housing also contains support consoles mounted on the outside and reinforcing belts mounted on the outside in the upper, middle and lower parts of the housing, in addition, the column contains a productive solution inlet pipe mounted in the side part of the cone-shaped element below the level of the false bottom, and a saturated sorbent outlet pipe mounted in the side part of the cone-shaped element above the level of the false bottom, as well as a sorbent inlet unit and an overflow pipe mounted in the upper part of the housing.

[0009] In particular, the body is cylindrical.

[0010] In particular, stiffening ribs are placed between the walls of the housing and the conical element.

[0011] In particular, the false bottom is placed inside the case at an angle of 30-60° relative to the walls of the case.

[0012] Specifically, the support consoles are arranged in two rows in the middle part of the hull, and the angle corresponding to the arc of the hull circumference located between the two support consoles in one row is 90°.

[0013] In particular, each reinforcing belt is made in the form of a channel with slots in the walls.

[0014] In particular, the walls of the housing are extended beyond the connection area of ​​the housing and the conical element by a distance equal to the height of the conical element.

[0015] In particular, the body, cone-shaped element, support consoles and stiffeners are made of sheet steel with a thickness of at least 6-10 mm.

[0016] In particular, the reinforcing belts are made of 10U channel.

[0017] In particular, the slots in the walls of the channel that forms the reinforcing belts are made with an angular distance of 3-5°, providing from 72 to 120 bends of the channel.

[0018] Specifically, the angular distance between adjacent stiffeners mounted between the body walls and the cone-shaped element is 30 to 60°, providing 6 to 12 stiffeners.

[0019] In particular, the body walls, cone-shaped element, stiffeners, support consoles, reinforcing belts, false bottom, productive solution inlet pipe, saturated sorbent outlet pipe, sorbent inlet unit, overflow pipe are connected in the appropriate order by means of a welded joint.

[0020] Brief description of drawings:

[0021] Fig. 1 shows a general view of the sorption column.

[0022] Fig. 2 shows a section of the sorption column.

[0023] The following is indicated on the figures: 1 - body, 2 - cone-shaped element, 3 - false bottom, 4 - support console, 5 - reinforcing belt, 6 - productive solution inlet pipe, 7 - saturated sorbent outlet pipe, 8 - sorbent inlet unit, 9 - overflow pipe, 10 - stiffener.

[0024] Implementation of a utility model.

[0025] The sorption column comprises a housing 1, preferably terminating at the bottom with a conical element 2, wherein a portion of the housing 1 extends downward beyond the junction of the housing 1 and the conical element 2, preferably to the height of the conical element 2, such that said conical element 2 is located within the walls of the cylindrical housing 1. This design solution simultaneously increases the overall rigidity of the housing structure and at the same time ensures protection of the conical element 2 from external influences and loads. It is preferable to design the housing 1 as a cylindrical structure, which further increases the strength of the column structure due to the uniform distribution of internal pressure on the walls of the housing.

[0026] Between the said walls of the housing 1 and the cone-shaped element 2, stiffening ribs 10 are placed, preferably having an angular distance between two adjacent stiffening ribs 10 from 30 to 60°, providing from 6 to 12 stiffening ribs 10 in the structure, which makes it possible to increase the rigidity of the connection of the housing 1 and the cone-shaped element 2 and reduce the load on the connection area of ​​the said elements.

[0027] Also, inside the housing 1, at an angle of 30-60° relative to the walls of the housing 1, a false bottom 3 is mounted, wherein the said orientation of the false bottom 3 ensures its connection both with the walls of the housing 1 and with the walls of the conical element 2, additionally strengthening the structure and reducing the load on the connection area of ​​the said elements.

[0028] Body 1 also contains support consoles 4 mounted on its external side, arranged in two rows in the middle section of body 1. The angle corresponding to the arc of the circumference of body 1 between two support consoles 4 in one row is 90°. This configuration of support consoles 4 allows for uniform distribution of the load from the column's weight and reduces the concentration of deformation stresses during its installation to the supporting structure.

[0029] Body 1 also contains reinforcing chords 5 mounted externally in the upper, middle, and lower sections. These chords increase the structural strength of body 1 and prevent deformation and failure under internal pressure. Each reinforcing chord 5 is designed as a channel with slots in its walls, allowing it to bend around body 1. This ensures significant strength of each reinforcing chord under compression or deformation due to its rigid U-shaped structure.The preferred execution of reinforcing belts 5 from a 10U channel provides the necessary and sufficient safety margin while maintaining optimal weight and size parameters, and the execution of slots in the walls of the channel forming the reinforcing belts 5, with an angular distance equal to 3-5°, provides from 72 to 120 bends of the channel, which is optimal for the most reliable connection of the reinforcing belt 5 with the surface of the housing 1, since a smaller number of bends of the channel causes an insufficient contact area of ​​the reinforcing belt 5 with the walls of the housing 1, which leads to the emergence of centers of concentration of deformation stresses both in the walls of the housing 1 and in the elements of the reinforcing belt 5, and a greater number of bends reduces the rigidity and resistance to deformations of the reinforcing belt 5 itself.

[0030] The column also contains a productive solution inlet pipe 6 mounted in the side portion of the cone-shaped element 2 below the level of the false bottom 3, and a saturated sorbent outlet pipe 7 mounted in the side portion of the cone-shaped element 2 above the level of the false bottom 3, in addition, the column contains a sorbent inlet unit 8 mounted in the upper portion of the cylindrical body 1 and an overflow pipe 9, as well as a volume of sorbent (preferably activated carbon) located inside the entire cylindrical body 1 from the false bottom 3 to the sorbent inlet unit 8, which ensures the process of sorption extraction of valuable components from productive solutions fed to the column by saturating the sorbent located in the body 1 with them. The body 1, the cone-shaped element 2, the support consoles 4 and the stiffening ribs 10 are made of sheet steel with a thickness of at least 6-10 mm, which ensures the necessary and sufficient margin of safety while maintaining optimal weight and size parameters.

[0031] Examples of implementation of the utility model.

[0032] In accordance with the utility model, examples of the implementation of the sorption column were implemented.

[0033] Example 1.

[0034] A sorption column was manufactured and installed at a gold ore processing facility for pilot testing of gold extraction technology from productive heap leaching solutions. The column was manufactured in strict accordance with the design documentation developed based on the claimed utility model.

[0035] The hull was constructed using 8 mm thick 09G2S sheet steel, which was formed into a cylindrical element with a diameter of 1900 mm and a height of 6500 mm. A cone-shaped element made of steel of similar thickness with a corresponding base diameter and a height of 1100 mm was mounted at the bottom of the hull. The walls of the cylindrical hull were extended downward beyond the junction with the cone-shaped element by 1100 mm, corresponding to the height of the cone-shaped element itself. Thus, the cone was positioned within a protective "skirt" belt formed by the extension of the hull walls.

[0036] To further strengthen the connection between the body and the conical element between them, eight stiffening ribs were installed around the entire perimeter, spaced at 45°. The ribs were cut from the same sheet steel and welded with a continuous seam, ensuring high resistance to the alternating loads that occur during pulsating flow of the solution.

[0037] A false bottom was installed inside the housing at a 45° angle relative to the vertical axis. This angle was chosen to ensure directed pulp flow while simultaneously strengthening the frame. The edges of the false bottom were securely welded to both the housing walls and the walls of the conical element, transforming the lower portion of the column into a rigid spatial truss that effectively resists torsional and shear deformations.

[0038] Reinforcing belts were installed on the hull in three tiers: at the top, middle, and bottom. Each belt was made from 10U channel steel using cold bending. To ensure a tight fit to the cylindrical surface, triangular slots were made in the channel walls every 4°, allowing the profile to be bent without losing its stability, resulting in 90 bends. The belts were welded to the hull, creating a strong load-bearing frame that withstands hoop tensile stresses from the pressure of the liquid column and the sorbent.

[0039] To install the column on the foundation trestle, support brackets were installed on the outside of the casing. They were arranged in two rows in the middle section of the casing. Each row contained four brackets, with the angle between adjacent brackets in a row being 90°. This arrangement ensured that the load from the column's own weight (over 2.8 tons in a dry state) and the dynamic forces during hydraulic unloading were distributed evenly across the supporting structure, eliminating any distortion or flexure of the casing at the support point.

[0040] After completing the welding and installation work, the column was filled with activated carbon from the false bottom to the sorbent inlet. The pregnant solution was fed through the pregnant solution inlet, located in a cone-shaped element below the false bottom, passed through the sorbent bed in an ascending flow, and was discharged through an overflow pipe. The saturated sorbent was discharged through a pipeline via a sand pump installed outside the column through the saturated sorbent outlet pipe, located above the false bottom.

[0041] After six months of continuous operation with cyclical changes in liquid levels and periodic sorbent discharge (which created significant dynamic loads), no residual deformations or cracks in the welds, particularly in the area where the vessel and cone meet, or signs of weakening of the reinforcing belts, were observed on the vessel. By comparison, the closest analogue (a combined adsorption column device according to patent CN221917515U), previously installed in a similar operation, showed loosening of the bolted connections at the section joints after just four months of operation, as well as the appearance of play in the I-beam clamping unit with the receiving elements. This necessitated an unscheduled shutdown and tightening of the fasteners to restore the seal.In addition, during bench tests of loaded columns under pressure, the device in accordance with the utility model provided a dynamic tensile strength of the structure from the inside in the amount of 550-560 MPa, while the product in accordance with the prototype in a similar experiment provided dynamic tensile strength of the structure in the amount of 490-500 MPa.

[0042] The technical result of the utility model is to increase the structural strength of the product.

[0043] The stated technical result is achieved by extending the walls of the housing beyond the zone of connection with the conical element, due to which the joint of the cylindrical part and the conical bottom ceases to be a zone of geometric interruption and stress concentration, but turns into a kind of protective cup, where the weld seam works primarily in shear, and not in separation, while the formed cavity serves as a natural damper, damping vibrations and redistributing loads from the cone to the more rigid cylindrical wall.

[0044] Also, the connection area of ​​the housing and the cone-shaped element is additionally reinforced with stiffening ribs placed between the walls of the housing and the cone-shaped element, which transform the two separate shells into a single multi-connected structure with a closed profile, which greatly increases the section modulus of the lower part of the column and allows it to effectively resist asymmetrical and torsional loads.

[0045] At the same time, the installation of a false bottom inside the housing at an angle of 30 to 60° connects the wall of the housing and the wall of the cone into a rigid spatial unit, and the inclined position of the false bottom allows it to withstand the vertical load from a multi-meter column of sorbent and convert part of this load into a thrust, which is uniformly transferred to the walls and then damped by external elements.

[0046] Furthermore, the preferred cylindrical design of the housing itself, in contrast to the polygonal shapes of known analogues, eliminates the presence of corners - natural stress concentrators, due to which the internal pressure creates only uniformly distributed membrane stresses in the wall, allowing the material to operate under the most favorable conditions.

[0047] The presence of reinforcing belts on the outer surface of the hull in the upper, middle, and lower sections, made of channel steel with slots in the walls, ensures a tight fit of the highly rigid U-shaped profile to the hull surface. These belts act as bandages, absorbing the main radial tensile forces from internal pressure and preventing deformation and failure of the walls. Moreover, the specific pitch of the slots additionally guarantees uniform contact and eliminates localized instability of the belt itself.

[0048] Also, the presence of support consoles, preferably placed in two rows in the middle part of the body with an angular step of 90°, ensures uniform distribution of the column weight and dynamic loads on the supporting structure, preventing point overloads, deformation of the body and the occurrence of overturning moments in the support zone.

[0049] Taken together, all of these features form a closed-loop power system in which vertical loads are supported by the extended wall and false bottom, horizontal loads are restrained by reinforcing chords, local stresses at the joint are absorbed by stiffeners, and dynamic effects are damped by the high rigidity of the welded monolithic structure, devoid of the detachable joints typical of the prototype. It is this systemic interaction, where each element reinforces the effect of the others, that eliminates the shortcomings of existing solutions and ensures the claimed increase in the structural strength of the product.

[0050] Thus, the claimed sorption column provides increased strength and structural reliability during operation. Only the presence of all the specified features ensures the overall stability and strength of the structure under static and dynamic conditions, which together guarantees the achievement of the stated technical result—increased structural strength of the product. The omission or non-compliance with even one of the listed features leads to a decrease in the strength of individual components and the structure as a whole, which means the stated technical result is not achieved.

Claims

1. A sorption column for extracting metals by a hydrometallurgical method, comprising a housing to which a cone-shaped element is mounted, wherein the walls of the housing are extended beyond the connection zone of the housing and the cone-shaped element, and a false bottom is mounted inside the housing, wherein the housing also contains support consoles mounted on the outside and reinforcing belts mounted on the outside in the upper, middle and lower parts of the housing, in addition, the column contains a productive solution inlet branch, mounted in the side part of the cone-shaped element below the level of the false bottom, and a saturated sorbent outlet branch, mounted in the side part of the cone-shaped element above the level of the false bottom, as well as a sorbent inlet unit and an overflow branch mounted in the upper part of the housing.

2. A sorption column for extracting metals by the hydrometallurgical method according to paragraph 1, characterized in that the body is made cylindrical.

3. A sorption column for extracting metals using the hydrometallurgical method according to paragraph 1, characterized in that stiffening ribs are placed between the walls of the housing and the conical element.

4. A sorption column for extracting metals using the hydrometallurgical method according to paragraph 1, characterized in that the false bottom is placed inside the housing at an angle of 30-60° relative to the walls of the housing.

5. A sorption column for extracting metals using a hydrometallurgical method according to claim 1, characterized in that the support consoles are placed in two rows in the middle part of the body, and the angle corresponding to the arc of the circumference of the body, located between two support consoles in one row, is 90°.

6. A sorption column for extracting metals using the hydrometallurgical method according to paragraph 1, characterized in that each reinforcing belt is made in the form of a channel with slots in the walls.

7. A sorption column for extracting metals by a hydrometallurgical method according to claim 1, characterized in that the walls of the housing are extended beyond the junction zone of the housing and the cone-shaped element by a distance equal to the height of the cone-shaped element.

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