Integrated hydrometallurgical and pyrometallurgical processing of base-metal sulphides

a hydrometallurgical and pyrometallurgical technology, applied in the field of base metal recovery, can solve the problems of inefficiency of roasting, inability to apply conventional smelting processes to lower grade copper concentrates, complex hydrometallurgical processing routes, etc., and achieve the effect of improving the economics of the whole integrated process, maximizing the recovery of copper from the original copper-containing feedstock, and improving the chemical efficiency and effect of the whole process

Inactive Publication Date: 2008-07-24
AUSENCO SERVICES PTY LTD
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  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0064]An advantage of the present invention is that the overall recovery of copper from the original copper-containing feedstock is maximised. An additional advantage is that variable ore blends, concentrate mixtures, or diverse sources of copper ore may be economically treated without the need to dispose of any untreated component of the original feedstock.
[0065]Another advantage of the present integrated hydrometallurgical and pyrometallurgical process flowsheet is the ready transfer of solution products and energy from circuit to circuit so that the chemical efficiency and hence economics of

Problems solved by technology

Hydrometallurgical processing routes are generally characterised as being complex with many unit steps and large circulating loads of copper.
Conventional smelting processes are generally not applicable to lower grade copper concentrates.
Roasting is often inefficient because copper-containing insoluble ferrite phases can form during the roasting stage.
Few of the proposed processes have attained full-scale commercial development for a number of reasons, including the need for ultrafine grinding, extended retention times, problems with the generation and neutralisation/precipitation of high ferric iron liquors, difficulties in recovery of any precious metals in the original feedstock, and the generation of relatively dilute copper solutions.
All of these factors increase both the capital and operating costs, especially when applied to relatively low-grade copper (chalcopyrite) concentrates.
The overall copper recoveries from many of the proposed processes is often less than economically acceptable because of incomplete reaction and/or losses to leach residues via precipitation and/or absorption pro

Method used

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  • Integrated hydrometallurgical and pyrometallurgical processing of base-metal sulphides
  • Integrated hydrometallurgical and pyrometallurgical processing of base-metal sulphides
  • Integrated hydrometallurgical and pyrometallurgical processing of base-metal sulphides

Examples

Experimental program
Comparison scheme
Effect test

example 1

[0084]A copper-iron sulphide concentrate containing about 34.5% copper and 1.9% iron and consisting predominantly of chalcopyrite and having a size range of about 80% passing 75 micron was subjected to pressure oxidation at 225° C. using a pulp density of 20% solids (w / w). More than 99% of the contained copper was leached after 120 minutes.

[0085]A second portion of the same concentrate was ground to 80% passing 23 micron and was reacted at a pulp density of 40% solids (w / w) at 180° C. with a copper sulphate solution containing 90 g / L of copper derived from the above pressure oxidation test. No reagents or chemicals were added to the upgrading step. Copper in solution dropped to less than 1 g / L after 15 minutes, and the copper content of the concentrate upgraded to above 45% w / w while the iron content was lowered to about 14% w / w.

example 2

[0086]The same copper-iron sulphide concentrate described in Example 1 was subjected to pressure oxidation at 210° C. and a pulp density of 25% solids (w / w) for a period of 180 minutes. Copper extraction was in excess of 97%.

[0087]Another portion of the same concentrate was reacted at a pulp density of 21.5% solids (w / w) at 180° C. with a copper sulphate solution containing 82 g / L of copper derived from the above pressure oxidation step. No reagents or chemical were added to the upgrading stage. Copper in solution dropped to less than 6 g / L after 180 minutes, and the copper content of the concentrate upgraded to above 55% w / w while the iron content was lowered to below 9% w / w.

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Abstract

The present invention relates to the recovery of base metals, in particular but not exclusively copper, via integrated hydrometallurgical and pyrometallurgical processing of base-metal sulphides, in particular but not exclusively iron-containing base-metal sulphides.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0001]The present invention relates to the recovery of base metals, in particular but not exclusively copper, via integrated hydrometallurgical and pyrometallurgical processing of base-metal sulphides, in particular but not exclusively iron-containing base-metal sulphides.[0002]The present invention relates more particularly but not exclusively to the recovery of copper from iron-containing copper sulphide concentrates in which the copper is present as chalcopyrite and / or bornite, by first processing the initial iron-bearing copper sulphide concentrate feedstock into three separate fractions by means of froth flotation or other beneficiation processes, the fractions being a high-grade concentrate fraction, a low-grade concentrate fraction, and tailings fraction. Typically the high- and low-grade concentrates will have copper contents greater than about 25%, and less that about 25%, respectively. The three separate fractions thereby recovered are individually an...

Claims

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Application Information

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IPC IPC(8): C22B5/18C22B23/06C22B11/00C22B60/02
CPCC22B15/0008C22B60/0226C22B15/0071C22B15/0028Y02P10/20
Inventor DUNN, GRENVIL MARQUISBARTSCH, PETER JOHN
Owner AUSENCO SERVICES PTY LTD
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