Method for efficient extraction of valuable metals from polymetallic nodules
By selectively extracting copper and converting it into reduced copper powder, combined with iron powder reduction and acidity control, the problems of high energy consumption and low leaching rate in polymetallic nodules were solved, achieving efficient and low acid consumption extraction of valuable metals and simplifying the process.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- INSTITUTE OF PROCESS ENGINEERING CHINESE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES
- Filing Date
- 2026-04-30
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-17
AI Technical Summary
Existing polymetallic nodule extraction processes suffer from problems such as high energy consumption, large acid consumption, low leaching rate of valuable metals, and complex valence states of the leachate. In particular, during wet leaching, the leaching of iron leads to increased acid consumption and complicated subsequent separation.
By selectively extracting copper and converting it into reduced copper powder, the leaching rate of iron is controlled to be low. Other valuable metals are then reduced using iron powder. Combined with appropriate amounts of acid medium and reducing agent, efficient leaching of valuable metals is achieved, and acid consumption is reduced.
It achieves low acid consumption and high leaching rate of valuable metals, simplifies the process, improves the leaching rate of nickel, cobalt, manganese and copper, and reduces the leaching rate of iron, directly obtaining reduced copper powder and reducing the complexity and cost of subsequent separation steps.
Smart Images
Figure CN122405976A_ABST