Selective removal of impurities from ores using a combination of a pH adjusted biological liquid and a biological solvent

Abstract

A method for selectively removing gangue or impurities from ore material includes: forming an extraction composition; contacting the ore material with the extraction composition at a selected temperature for a selected time to dissolve the gangue or impurities, thereby producing treated ore material and an extraction solution; and separating the treated ore material from the extraction solution containing the dissolved gangue or impurities. The mixtures disclosed herein include the extraction composition and the ore material. The extraction compositions disclosed herein may include one or more selected from the group consisting of biological solvents, biological fluids, organic acids, inorganic acids, and ionic liquids. The extraction compositions are configured to selectively dissolve impurity components, valuable metals, or combinations thereof from the ore material.

Description

Cross-references to related applications

[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 547,324, filed November 3, 2023, and U.S. Provisional Applications Nos. 63 / 701,293 and 63 / 701,301, filed September 30, 2024. The entire contents of each of these applications are incorporated herein by reference for all practical purposes. Background Technology

[0002] In the mining industry, ore grades generally decline over time. Decreasing ore quality necessitates higher operational efficiency or additional capital expenditure to meet production targets. This also presents additional challenges, as the further development of electrification technologies (such as the battery economy and urban fuels) drives demand for relatively high-grade ores such as nickel, lithium, copper, and rare earth metals. Therefore, more sustainable mining practices are urgently needed to ensure the production of high-grade ores. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This summary is provided to introduce a series of concepts that will be further described in the following detailed description. This summary is not intended to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to help limit the scope of the claimed subject matter.

[0004] In one aspect, the embodiments disclosed herein relate to a method for selectively removing gangue or impurities from an ore material. The method includes: forming an extraction composition comprising one or more components at a selected concentration and a selected pH, the one or more components being selected from the group consisting of inorganic acids, organic acids, and ionic liquids; incubating a slurry at a selected temperature of at least about 20 °C for a selected time to dissolve one or more impurity components in the extraction composition to form an extraction solution; contacting the ore material with the extraction composition at a selected temperature for a selected time to dissolve the gangue or impurities, thereby producing treated ore material and an extraction solution; and separating the treated ore material from the extraction solution containing the dissolved gangue or impurities.

[0005] In another aspect, embodiments of this document relate to a mixture comprising an extraction composition and an ore material. The extraction composition comprises one or more selected from the group consisting of biosolvents, biofluids, organic acids, inorganic acids, and ionic liquids. The extraction composition is configured to selectively dissolve impurity components, valuable metals, or combinations thereof from the ore material.

[0006] In another aspect, embodiments of this document relate to a method for dissolving one or more impurity components from tailings, ore matrix, ore concentrate, gangue, or combinations thereof to support carbon sequestration. The method includes: forming an extraction composition comprising one or more selected from inorganic acids, organic acids, and ionic liquids at selected concentrations and pH; contacting the tailings, the ore matrix, the gangue, or both the tailings and the ore matrix with the extraction composition at a selected temperature for a selected time to dissolve cations, thereby producing an extraction solution and treated tailings, treated ore matrix, treated ore concentrate, treated gangue, or combinations thereof; and separating the treated tailings, the treated ore matrix, the treated ore concentrate, or combinations thereof from the extraction solution.

[0007] In another aspect, embodiments of this document relate to a method for selectively removing one or more impurity components from an iron ore material. The method includes: contacting the iron ore material with an extraction composition comprising one or more organic acids having a selected pH to produce a slurry; and separating the extraction solution containing the one or more impurity components from the incubated slurry to form a treated iron ore material with improved ore grade and / or enhanced processing capabilities.

[0008] Other aspects and advantages of the claimed subject matter will become apparent from the following description and the appended claims. Attached Figure Description

[0009] Figure 1 A method for extracting impurity component metals from ore materials according to one or more embodiments is shown.

[0010] Figure 2 A simplified flowchart illustrating the extraction process of a recycling extraction composition according to one or more embodiments is shown.

[0011] Figure 3 The graph shows the percentage removal of aluminum (Al), silicon (Si), phosphorus (P), and iron (Fe) from iron ore samples after incubation with a mixture of organic acid and conjugate base, compared to a control group incubated with Milli-Q water.

[0012] Figure 4 The graph shows the percentage of aluminum (Al), silicon (Si), phosphorus (P) and iron (Fe) removed when two solvents ((1) 1 M formate and (2) a 1 M mixture containing 40% citrate, 40% oxalate and 20% gluconate, each prepared at two different pH) were incubated with iron ore, compared to the Milli-Q water control group.

[0013] Figure 5A graph showing the percentage of impurities (including Al2O3, SiO2, CaO, and MgO) removed from ores and tailings nurtured with various inorganic and organic acids.

[0014] Figure 6 A graph shows a predictive example of the dissolution of aluminum, silica, and lithium after incubating a 1:10 mixture of spodumene and kaolinite in two different organic acids, compared to a water control treatment.

[0015] Figure 7A The graph shows the amount of Al, copper (Cu), Fe, magnesium (Mg), molybdenum (Mo), and silicon-containing compounds (Si) dissolved over 2 hours as a function of different aqueous solutions.

[0016] Figure 7B The graph shows the amount of Al, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mo, and Si dissolved over 6 hours as a function of different aqueous solutions.

[0017] Figure 7C The graph shows the amount of Al, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mo, and Si dissolved over 24 hours as a function of different aqueous solutions.

[0018] Figure 8 The graph shows the percentage of Al, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mo, and Si dissolved after 24 hours as a function of aqueous solution.

[0019] Figure 9 The graph shows the adsorption of cations onto the ion exchange resin over time.

[0020] Figure 10 A graph showing the percentage of dissolved components in an extraction solution formed from fresh (i.e., “original”) extraction composition and copper concentrate compared to an extraction solution formed from a regenerated extraction composition and copper concentrate.

[0021] Figure 11A The graph shows the percentages of Ni, Fe, Mg, and sulfur (S) dissolved in sulfuric acid as a function of time.

[0022] Figure 11B The graph shows the percentages of Ni, Fe, Mg, and S dissolved in citric acid as a function of time.

[0023] Figure 12 The graph shows the percentage of dissolved components (Ni, cobalt (Co), Mg (e.g., as magnesium oxide (MgO)) and Fe) as a function of organic acids.

[0024] Figure 13 The graph shows the percentage of dissolved Ni, Fe, and Mg as a function of aqueous solutions containing different organic acids.

[0025] Figure 14The graph shows the percentage of dissolved Ni, Fe, Co, and Mg (e.g., as MgO) as a function of acid (sulfuric acid and citric acid) and different pH values.

[0026] Figure 15 The graph shows the percentages of Ni, Fe, and Mg dissolved in citric acid solution at different temperatures.

[0027] Figures 16A to 16D The graph shows the percentage of Fe, Mg, Ni, and S removed over time in solutions containing different concentrations of citric acid.

[0028] Figure 17 Showing Aspergillus ( ) Aspergillus spp. ) A graph showing the concentration of organic acids in the biosolvents 3-5 obtained from the culture.

[0029] Figure 18 The graph shows the percentage of dissolved components (Ni, Co, Mg, and Fe) as a function of acidic solvent.

[0030] Figure 19 The graph shows the percentage of dissolved components (Ni, Co, Mg, and Fe) as a function of acidic solvent.

[0031] Figure 20 The graph shows the percentage of dissolved components (Ni, Co, Mg, and Fe) as a function of acidic solvent.

[0032] Figure 21 The graph shows the percentage of dissolved components (Ni, Co, Mg, and Fe) as a function of acidic solvent.

[0033] Figure 22 The graph shows the percentages of Fe, Mg, Ni, and S removed from the extraction composition during the first extraction process and after recycling.

[0034] Figure 23 The graph shows the concentrations (parts per million, ppm) of Fe, Mg, and Ni removed in the extraction solution, in the organic solution after two-phase solvent extraction of the extraction solution, and in the extraction solution (aqueous phase) after two-phase solvent treatment.

[0035] Figure 24 The graph shows the relationship between the percentage of metal recovery and equilibrium pH when removing Fe, Mg and Ni from the extraction solution.

[0036] Figure 25 The graph shows the percentage of Fe, Mg, and Ni removed from Ni concentrate from two different locations using citric acid. Detailed Implementation

[0037] It is well known that organic acids and their conjugate bases can selectively dissolve components from minerals and ores. Individual organic acids (such as oxalic acid and citric acid and their corresponding anions as conjugate bases) as well as microorganisms that produce certain acids have been tested and demonstrated to dissolve components present in minerals and ores, but not to the extent necessary to guarantee further commercial development.

[0038] This disclosure describes specific combinations of inorganic acids, organic acids, and conjugate bases (including amino acids and peptides) and ionic liquids (each of which can be produced biologically and / or synthetically, and in some cases with silicon enzymes or other enzymes) at regulated pH as examples of removing one or more impurities from ore materials. For example, the present invention relates to specific combinations of inorganic and organic acids and conjugate bases (including amino acids and peptides) and ionic liquids at regulated pH to selectively (a) remove impurities from ore materials (such as ore) to improve ore grade, (b) remove impurities from ore materials (such as ore) to improve processing, and (c) extract valuable metals from gangue. As described herein, these combinations may also be referred to as “extraction compositions.” The combinations described herein advantageously and to a greater extent selectively dissolve impurities than previous work and make it possible to adopt these technological improvements in mining processes.

[0039] Compared to existing technologies, one or more embodiments of this disclosure are advantageous because they demonstrate that certain combinations of one or more organic acids and their conjugate bases unexpectedly improve the selective dissolution of impurities from ores. In some cases, the addition of inorganic acids and / or silanases or other enzymes (which may be present in a biobroth or as additives to synthetic mixtures) further improves the removal of gangue material and impurities from ore materials. For example, for Fe ore, certain combinations of organic acids and conjugate bases remove impurities (including aluminum (Al), Si-containing compounds, and P) to a greater extent than Fe, thereby improving the grade of Fe ore. In another example, an extraction composition containing one or more organic acids can selectively remove Mg from Ni-containing ore materials and remove Fe to a lesser extent. In yet another example, an extraction composition according to one or more embodiments can selectively remove Mg, Al, molybdenum (Mo), Fe, Si, and F from Cu-containing ore materials. Furthermore, one or more embodiments of this disclosure involve raising the pH of these organic acid and conjugate base combinations toward neutrality to a point that can improve the selective dissolution of impurities and lead to an increase in the grade of ore materials such as Fe ore.

[0040] As used herein, the term "ore material" refers to ore matrix, ore concentrate, ore, ore tailings, gangue, waste rock, and other ore-based materials, or any combination thereof. For example, ore concentrate may be derived from ore tailings. Non-limiting examples of ore materials include, but are not limited to, nickel-bearing ore materials (such as laterite nickel ore, nickel sulfides), aluminosilicates, bauxite, Cu-bearing ore materials, ultramafic tailings, etc.

[0041] As used herein, the terms "valuable metal" or "valuable nonmetallic atom" can refer to any metal or atom, extracted from ore material, that can be further separated and reused by various methods. Non-limiting examples of valuable metals include Fe, lithium (Li), Cu, Co, Ni, Al, Mg, rare earth metals, etc. Non-limiting examples of valuable nonmetallic atoms include, but are not limited to, Si (e.g., Si atoms, silicon dioxide, etc.), F, carbon (C), oxygen (O), S, P, nitrogen (N), etc.

[0042] As used herein, the term "organic acid" may include single organic acids and / or mixtures of organic acids produced by microorganisms (e.g., in biological lysates), or organic acids from other biological sources (e.g., produced by plants), or synthetically prepared organic acids. Throughout this disclosure, "organic acid" may include mixtures of organic acids with their corresponding conjugate bases.

[0043] As used herein, the term "biofluid" refers to a solution produced and obtained from natural and / or engineered organic acid-producing microorganisms (e.g., through fermentation processes), natural and / or engineered organic acid-producing plants, or a combination thereof. Natural and / or engineered microorganisms may include, but are not limited to, microorganisms selected from the group consisting of: *Aspergillus* (…). Aspergillus Acetobacter spp. Acetobacter ), Bacillus spp. Bacillus ), Propionibacterium spp. Propionibacterium Corynebacterium spp. Corynebacterium ), Rhizopus ( Rhizopus Clostridium ( Clostridium ), Fusobacterium genus ( Fusobacterium ), Pseudomonas spp. Pseudomonas Bifidobacterium spp. Bifidobacterium ), Yeast ( Saccharomyces ), Enterobacteriaceae ( Enterobacter ), Escherichia coli ( Escherichia For example, E. coli Escherichia coli ), and combinations thereof. The biofluid of one or more embodiments may be derived from Aspergillus ( ). Aspergillus spp.Organic acids are obtained from cultures, such as from supernatants, cell lysates, or combinations thereof. Organic acid-producing microorganisms, organic acid-producing plants, or both can produce organic acids or mixtures of organic acids. Organic acid-producing microorganisms can produce one or more organic acids and one or more components, such as primary metabolites, secondary metabolites, antibodies, salts, ions, organelles, cellular components, extracellular components, biomolecules (e.g., polysaccharides, proteins, enzymes, amino acids, nucleic acids, lipids, carbohydrates, etc.), or any combination thereof. The terms "engineered microorganisms" and "engineered plants" can refer to altered microorganisms or plants, for example, through genetic engineering, to regulate the production of acids or other biological fluid components.

[0044] The terms "fermentation broth" and "biofluid" can refer to a complex mixture of components derived from living organisms, such as a culture medium obtained from a culture of microorganisms (e.g., fungi), plants, or combinations thereof. This complex mixture may include inorganic and / or organic acids and their corresponding conjugate bases, ionic liquids, amino acids, cellular components derived from microorganisms, extracellular components derived from microorganisms, or any combination thereof. For example, a biofluid may contain one or more enzymes, such as silicates.

[0045] As used herein, the term "inorganic acid" may refer to an acid derived from an inorganic compound. One or more embodiments of the inorganic acid may include a protic acid.

[0046] As used herein, the term "biosolvent" refers to a solution comprising an inorganic acid and / or an organic acid and its corresponding conjugate base, one or more biological fluids, ionic liquids, or any combination thereof. The biosolvents of one or more embodiments may be of biological or synthetic origin and may contain or not contain silanases and / or other enzymes. In one or more embodiments, the biosolvent is a biological fluid or a mixture of biological fluids.

[0047] As used herein, the term "gangue" refers to impurities in a mineral deposit that surround or are closely mixed with the desired mineral. Although called "impurities," it should be understood that certain components of gangue may be valuable and are impurities relative to the desired material in the deposit.

[0048] As used herein, the phrase "total mass loss" refers to the difference between the mass of a processed material and the mass of a material before processing. For example, "total mass loss" may refer to the change in the mass of ore material before and after an extraction process according to one or more embodiments.

[0049] As used herein, the phrase “total volume loss” refers to the difference between the volume of a treated material and the volume of a material before treatment. For example, “total volume loss” may refer to the volume change of an extraction composition according to one or more embodiments (e.g., before the extraction process compared to the extraction solution obtained after the extraction process, which has been separated from the solid material).

[0050] As used herein, the terms “loading” or “leaching” refer to a process of transferring one or more components from a first material to a second material. For example, a “loading” or “leaching” process may include transferring one or more components from an ore material to an extraction composition according to one or more embodiments.

[0051] As used herein, the terms “stripping” or “separation” refer to the removal of a first component (e.g., impurity components, biofluids, biosolvents, organic acids, etc.) from a second component (e.g., mixtures, solutions, mineral materials, etc.).

[0052] As used herein, the terms “recycling” or “regeneration” refer to the recovery of materials (e.g., components of an extract composition, an extract composition, or both) so that the material can be reused in subsequent processes.

[0053] As disclosed herein, one or more embodiments may involve the use of combinations of inorganic acids, organic acids, and conjugate bases, and optionally one or more additives, at adjusted pH, to selectively: (a) remove impurities from ore to improve ore grade, (b) remove impurities from ore to improve processing, and (c) extract valuable metals from gangue. These combinations enable greater selective dissolution of impurities and facilitate the adoption of these technological improvements in mining processes.

[0054] Extraction compositions and mixtures In one aspect, embodiments herein relate to an extraction composition. In another aspect, embodiments herein relate to an extraction mixture comprising an extraction composition and an ore material. The extraction mixture may be a slurry comprising the extraction composition and the ore material. In one or more embodiments, the extraction composition comprises one or more biofluids, one or more biosolvents, or any combination thereof. In one or more embodiments, the extraction composition is a biosolvent or a biofluid. In one or more embodiments, the extraction composition is a mixture comprising at least two components at selected concentrations and selected pH values, the components being selected from inorganic acids, organic acids, and ionic liquids. As used herein, the term "extraction composition" may refer to a solution comprising one or more components at selected concentrations and selected pH values, the components being selected from the group consisting of biosolvents, biofluids, inorganic acids, organic acids, and ionic liquids.

[0055] The extraction composition can be configured to selectively extract one or more components from an ore material. In one or more embodiments, the extraction composition is configured to remove one or more impurity components from the ore material, which may include gangue, one or more metals and / or valuable non-metallic atoms. In a non-limiting example, the extraction composition can be configured to extract one or more of the following components from an ore material (such as iron ore, copper ore, or Ni ore): Mg, Al, Fe, Si, Mo, Cu, F, P, or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, the extraction composition is configured to selectively extract one component while another component has low solubility. For example, the extraction composition can be configured to selectively extract the Mg component from an ore material (such as Ni-containing or Cu-containing ore) while the Fe component has low solubility.

[0056] The extraction composition may include an aqueous solution. The aqueous solution contains water. This water may include, but is not limited to, Milli-Q water suitable for processing ore materials, distilled water, deionized water, tap water, fresh water from surface or groundwater sources, formation water, natural and synthetic brine, brackish water, natural and synthetic seawater, drinking water, non-drinking water, process water, other water, and combinations thereof. As used herein, “Milli-Q water” refers to water purified using the Millipore Milli-Q laboratory water system. In one or more embodiments, the base Milli-Q water conforms to ASTM Type I standards and has a resistivity greater than 18.0 MΩ·cm at 25 EC due to the presence of ions, less than 10 ppb (parts per billion) of organic matter, less than 0.03 endotoxins / mL (EU / mL) of pyrogens, less than 1 particle / mL, less than 10 ppb of silica, and less than 1 colony-forming unit / mL (cfu / mL).

[0057] In one or more embodiments, the water used may naturally contain contaminants such as salts, ions, minerals, organic matter, and combinations thereof, provided that these contaminants do not interfere with the extraction of target metal atoms and / or impurity components from the ore material. In one or more embodiments, one or more additives may be added to the extraction composition to enhance selectivity for one or more components, efficiency in removing one or more components, or combinations thereof.

[0058] In one or more embodiments, the aqueous solution comprises a first organic acid, optionally an additional organic acid, and optionally an inorganic acid. The extraction composition may comprise one or more organic acids, one or more inorganic acids, one or more ionic liquids, or mixtures thereof. The extraction composition may comprise at least two selected from organic acids, inorganic acids, ionic liquids, or mixtures thereof. For example, the extraction composition may comprise multiple organic acids. The extraction composition may comprise three or more organic acids, four or more organic acids, five or more organic acids, six or more organic acids, eight or more organic acids, or ten or more organic acids.

[0059] The first organic acid may comprise one or more, two or more, or a variety of organic acids. The first organic acid may include, but is not limited to, acids selected from the group consisting of: gluconic acid, oxalic acid, citric acid, malic acid, lactic acid, acetic acid, tartaric acid, itaconic acid, hydroxypropionic acid, phthalic acid, hexadecenoic acid, heptadecanic acid, gallic acid, aspartic acid, succinic acid, oleic acid, tannic acid, palmitic acid, and combinations thereof. In some embodiments, when the first organic acid comprises two or more organic acids, a primary organic acid component and a corresponding secondary organic acid component may be present.

[0060] In one or more embodiments, the first organic acid comprises an acid selected from the group consisting of gluconic acid, oxalic acid, citric acid, malic acid, lactic acid, acetic acid, tartaric acid, itaconic acid, hydroxypropionic acid, phthalic acid, hexadecenoic acid, heptadecanic acid, gallic acid, aspartic acid, succinic acid, oleic acid, tannic acid, palmitic acid, and combinations thereof. As a non-limiting example, the first organic acid may comprise oxalic acid as a major component and gluconic acid as a minor component. In one or more embodiments, the first organic acid comprises gluconic acid as a major component and oxalic acid as a minor component. The first organic acid may comprise citric acid as a major component and malic acid as a minor component. The first organic acid may comprise malic acid as a major component and citric acid as a minor component. The first organic acid may be, but is not limited to, citric acid, malic acid, gluconic acid, or oxalic acid.

[0061] In some embodiments, the first organic acid, optionally the additional organic acid, or both are synthetically produced, for example, generated in a laboratory. In some embodiments, the first organic acid, optionally the additional organic acid, or both are naturally occurring, such that at least a portion of the aqueous solution may be a biological fluid and / or may be obtained from and / or separated from a biological fluid. In one or more embodiments, the biological solvent comprises purified (e.g., purified single organic acid and / or purified mixture of organic acids) or a mixture of unpurified organic acids. The biological solvent of one or more embodiments may be used with a single organic acid or a mixture of inorganic acids.

[0062] In one or more embodiments, the first organic acid is present in the aqueous solution at a concentration ranging from non-zero (e.g., 0.01 M (mol / L)) to 4 M. For example, the lower limit of the concentration range of the first organic acid can be any of the following: non-zero, 0.010 M, 0.015 M, 0.020 M, 0.025 M, 0.05 M, 0.075 M, 0.09 M, 0.10 M, 0.125 M, 0.150 M, 0.250 M, 0.5 M, 0.6 M, 0.8 M, 0.9 M, 1 M, 1.5 M, 2 M, 2.5 M, 3 M, 3.5 M, and 3.9 M; the upper limit can be any of the following: 0.05 M, 0.075 M, 0.09 M, 0.10 M, 0.125 M, 0.150 M, 0.250 M, 0.5 M, 0.6 M, 0.7 M, 0.8 M, 0.9 M, 1.0 M, 1.1 M, 1.2 M, 1.5 M, 2 M, 2.5 M. M, 3 M, 3.5 M, 3.9 M, 3.95 M, and 4 M, wherein any lower limit may be paired with any mathematically compatible upper limit. As a non-limiting example, the first organic acid may be present in the extraction composition in a concentration range from non-zero to 1.5 M. The extraction composition may contain one or more organic acids, and the lower limit of its weight-volume percentage (% (w / v)) range may be any of the following: 0% (w / v), 5% (w / v), 10% (w / v), 15% (w / v), 20% (w / v), 25% (w / v), 30% (w / v), 35% (w / v), 40% (w / v), 45% (w / v), 50% (w / v), 55% (w / v), 60% (w / v), 65% (w / v), 70% (w / v), and 75% (w / v); the upper limit may be any of the following: 20% (w / v), 25% (w / v), 30% (w / v), 35% (w / v), 40% (w / v), 45% (w / v), 50% (w / v), 55% (w / v), 60% (w / v), 65% (w / v), 70% (w / v), 75% (w / v), 80% (w / v), 85% (w / v), 90% (w / v), 95% (w / v), 98% (w / v), 99% (w / v) and 100% (w / v), where any lower limit can be paired with any mathematically compatible upper limit.

[0063] In one or more embodiments, when Fe ore material is present in the extraction mixture, the extraction composition may contain a formate (i.e., formic acid) with a pH of about 3.5 and a concentration of about 1 M. In some embodiments, the extraction composition contains gluconic acid with a concentration of about 250 mM to about 1 M. In some embodiments, the extraction composition contains oxalic acid with a concentration of about 250 mM to about 1 M. The extraction composition may contain about 40% (w / v) of citrate (i.e., citric acid), about 40% (w / v) of oxalate (i.e., oxalic acid), and about 20% (w / v) of gluconic acid (i.e., gluconic acid).

[0064] The additional organic acid may comprise one or more organic acids, two or more organic acids, or a variety of organic acids. In some embodiments, when the additional organic acid comprises two or more organic acids, a primary organic acid component and a secondary organic acid component may be present. The additional organic acid may include, but is not limited to, acids selected from the group consisting of: citric acid, malic acid, formic acid, lactic acid, acetic acid, itaconic acid, tartaric acid, hydroxypropionic acid, phthalic acid, hexadecenoic acid, heptadecanic acid, gallic acid, aspartic acid, succinic acid, oleic acid, tannic acid, palmitic acid, and combinations thereof.

[0065] In one or more embodiments, when the first organic acid is oxalic acid or contains oxalic acid as a major component, the additional organic acid includes acids selected from the group consisting of: gluconic acid, oxalic acid, lactic acid, acetic acid, malic acid, citric acid, hydroxypropionic acid, phthalic acid, tartaric acid, itaconic acid, hexadecenoic acid, heptadecanic acid, gallic acid, aspartic acid, succinic acid, oleic acid, tannic acid, palmitic acid, and combinations thereof. In a non-limiting example, when the first organic acid is gluconic acid or contains gluconic acid as a major component, the additional organic acid may include, but is not limited to, acids selected from the group consisting of: malic acid, oxalic acid, lactic acid, acetic acid, citric acid, hydroxypropionic acid, phthalic acid, tartaric acid, itaconic acid, hexadecenoic acid, heptadecanic acid, and combinations thereof. In one or more embodiments, when the first organic acid is citric acid or contains citric acid as a major component, the additional organic acid includes acids selected from the group consisting of: gluconic acid, oxalic acid, lactic acid, acetic acid, malic acid, hydroxypropionic acid, phthalic acid, tartaric acid, itaconic acid, hexadecenoic acid, heptadecanic acid, gallic acid, aspartic acid, succinic acid, oleic acid, tannic acid, palmitic acid, and combinations thereof. In one or more embodiments, when the first organic acid is malic acid or contains malic acid as a major component, the additional organic acid includes acids selected from the group consisting of: citric acid, gluconic acid, oxalic acid, lactic acid, acetic acid, malic acid, hydroxypropionic acid, phthalic acid, tartaric acid, itaconic acid, hexadecenoic acid, heptadecanic acid, gallic acid, aspartic acid, succinic acid, oleic acid, tannic acid, palmitic acid, and combinations thereof.

[0066] In one or more embodiments, the additional organic acid is present in the aqueous solution at a concentration ranging from 0 M to 1.5 M. For example, the lower limit of the concentration range of the first organic acid can be any of the following: 0 M, non-zero, 0.005 M, 0.010 M, 0.015 M, 0.020 M, 0.025 M, 0.05 M, 0.075 M, 0.09 M, 0.10 M, 0.125 M, 0.150 M, 0.250 M, 0.5 M, 0.6 M, 0.8 M, and 0.9 M; the upper limit can be any of the following: 0.05 M, 0.075 M, 0.09 M, 0.10 M, 0.125 M, 0.150 M, 0.250 M, 0.5 M, 0.6 M, 0.7 M, 0.8 M, 0.9 M, 1.0 M, 1.1 M, and 1.5 M, wherein any lower limit can be paired with any mathematically compatible upper limit.

[0067] In some embodiments, the concentration ratio of the first organic acid to the additional organic acid is in the range of 1:0 to 1: less than or equal to (≤) 1. In one or more embodiments, the lower limit of the range of the concentration ratio of the first organic acid to the additional organic acid is any of the following: 1:0, 1:0.05, 1:0.1, 1:0.2, 1:0.3, 1:0.4, 1:0.5, and 1:0.75; and the upper limit is any of the following: 1:0.1, 1:0.2, 1:0.3, 1:0.4, 1:0.5, 1:0.6, 1:0.7, 1:0.75, 1:0.8, 1:0.85, 1:0.9, 1:0.95, 1:0.99, and 1:1, wherein any lower limit may be paired with any mathematically compatible upper limit.

[0068] In one or more embodiments, the extraction composition comprises an inorganic acid. The inorganic acid may include acids selected from the group consisting of sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid, nitric acid, phosphoric acid, and combinations thereof. The inorganic acid may be contained in an aqueous fluid in amounts ranging from 0 M or non-zero concentrations to 1.5 M. For example, the lower limit of the concentration range of inorganic acids can be any of the following: 0 M, 0.005 M, 0.010 M, 0.015 M, 0.020 M, 0.025 M, 0.05 M, 0.075 M, 0.09 M, 0.10 M, 0.125 M, 0.150 M, 0.250 M, 0.5 M, 0.6 M, 0.8 M, and 0.9 M; the upper limit can be any of the following: 0.05 M, 0.075 M, 0.09 M, 0.10 M, 0.125 M, 0.150 M, 0.250 M, 0.5 M, 0.6 M, 0.7 M, 0.8 M, 0.9 M, 1.0 M, 1.1 M, and 1.5 M, wherein any lower limit can be paired with any mathematically compatible upper limit.

[0069] The extraction compositions of one or more embodiments have a pH range of 0.09 to 6.5. In some embodiments, the lower limit of the pH range of the extraction composition may be any of the following: 0.09, 0.10, 0.2, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1, 1.2, 1.5, 1.7, 1.9, 2.0, 2.2, 2.5, 2.7, 2.9, 3.0, 3.2, 3.5, 3.7, 4.0, 4.2, 4.5, 4.7, 5.0, 5.2, 5.5 And 5.8; the upper limit can be any of the following: 1, 1.2, 1.5, 1.7, 1.9, 2.0, 2.2, 2.5, 2.7, 2.9, 3.0, 3.2, 3.5, 3.7, 3.9, 4.0, 4.2, 4.5, 4.7, 5.0, 5.2, 5.5, 5.7, 6.0, 6.2 and 6.5, where any lower limit can be paired with any mathematically compatible upper limit.

[0070] Methods for extracting one or more components from mineral materials On the other hand, embodiments of this document relate to a method for extracting metals from ore materials (e.g., ore concentrates, ores, gangue, ore tailings, waste rock, and other ore materials). A non-limiting method may be as follows: Figure 1 As shown (e.g., method 100). In some embodiments, method 100 may include block 102, such that, as Figure 1 The diagram shows an extraction composition and an ore material. As shown in box 104, method 100 may include selectively dissolving an impurity component comprising one or more minerals, one or more salts, one or more valuable metals, one or more valuable non-metallic atoms, or any combination thereof from the ore material into the extraction composition.

[0071] This method may include preparing an extraction composition. The extraction composition may be prepared by: obtaining a biofluid from microorganisms; preparing a synthetic biosolvent by adding one or more organic acids, inorganic acids, and / or ionic liquids to an aqueous solution to form a biosolvent; adding at least a portion of the biofluid to a biosolvent; or any combination thereof. In one or more embodiments, the extraction composition is prepared by obtaining a first organic acid and optionally additional organic acids, inorganic acids, ionic liquids, or combinations thereof. The one or more organic acids in the extraction composition may be obtained through a synthetic laboratory procedure. The first organic acid, additional organic acid, inorganic acid, ionic liquid, or combination thereof may be microbially produced, plant-produced, or both, such that the first organic acid, additional organic acid, inorganic acid, or combination thereof can be collected from microorganisms, plants, or both. In some embodiments, the first organic acid, additional organic acid, inorganic acid, or combination thereof is collected from plant extracts, microbial cell lysates, microbial supernatants, or combinations thereof. The one or more organic acids in the extraction composition may be purified, for example, purified from a biofluid, purified from laboratory synthesis, purified after recycling the extraction composition, or any combination thereof.

[0072] This method may include forming a mixture comprising an extraction composition and an ore material. The extraction composition and the ore material may be as described above. In some embodiments, the method includes reducing the size of the ore material (e.g., crushing the ore material into particles of a selected size) before contacting the ore material with the extraction composition. The method may include crushing ore material into particles, the lower limit of which is any of the following range of average size (e.g., average diameter): 1 nm, 5 nm, 10 nm, 50 nm, 100 nm, 500 nm, 1 μm, 10 μm, 50 μm, 100 μm, 500 μm, 1 mm, 10 mm, 50 mm, 100 mm, 500 mm, 1 m, 5 m, 10 m and 50 m; the upper limit is any of the following: 100 nm, 500 nm, 1 μm, 10 μm, 50 μm, 100 μm, 500 μm, 1 mm, 10 mm, 50 mm, 100 mm, 500 mm, 1 m, 5 m, 10 m, 50 m, 75 m and 100 m, wherein any lower limit may be paired with any mathematically compatible upper limit.

[0073] An extraction composition, ore material, or both may be introduced (or added) into an extraction unit (e.g., a stirred leaching tank of an extraction system) within an extraction zone. In some embodiments, the extraction zone is a laboratory extraction unit, which is a container capable of being manually stirred or agitated during extraction. The extraction unit may be a container capable of being automatically stirred or agitated during extraction, for example, having a control system electrically connected to the extraction unit. In some embodiments, the method includes providing an extraction system capable of performing one or more leaching processes. The extraction system may include one or more delivery lines, valves, pumps, tanks, an extraction zone including extraction units (e.g., one or more stirred leaching tanks), and one or more additional units known to those skilled in the art for mineral leaching. One or more components of the extraction system may be add-ons capable of being incorporated into one or more industrial mining processes.

[0074] In some embodiments, the extraction zone includes a plurality of leaching tanks arranged in parallel or in series. In one or more embodiments, one or more of the plurality of leaching tanks are in fluid communication with subsequent leaching tanks in the plurality of leaching tanks. In some embodiments, the plurality of leaching tanks are arranged in a cross-flow or counter-flow design, a closed-loop leaching, or a combination thereof.

[0075] Based on the total weight of the extraction mixture, the ore material may be added to the extraction zone in an amount ranging from 5 wt% to 55 wt%. The lower limit of the range of the amount of ore material added to the extraction unit may be any of the following: 5 wt%, 7.5 wt%, 8 wt%, 10 wt%, 15 wt%, 20 wt%, 25 wt%, 30 wt%, 40 wt%, 45 wt%, 48 wt%, and 50 wt%; the upper limit may be any of the following: 15 wt%, 20 wt%, 25 wt%, 30 wt%, 40 wt%, 45 wt%, 48 wt%, 50 wt%, 51 wt%, 52 wt%, 53 wt%, 54 wt%, and 55 wt%, where any lower limit may be paired with any mathematically compatible upper limit.

[0076] Based on the total weight of the extraction mixture, the extraction composition may be added to the extraction unit in an amount ranging from 45 wt% to 95 wt%. The lower limit of the range of the amount of extraction composition added to the extraction unit may be any of the following: 45 wt%, 47.5 wt%, 48 wt%, 50 wt%, 55 wt%, 60 wt%, 65 wt%, 70 wt%, 75 wt%, 78 wt%, and 80 wt%; the upper limit may be any of the following: 55 wt%, 60 wt%, 65 wt%, 70 wt%, 75 wt%, 80 wt%, 85 wt%, 88 wt%, 90 wt%, 91 wt%, 92 wt%, 93 wt%, 94 wt%, and 95 wt%, wherein any lower limit may be paired with any mathematically compatible upper limit.

[0077] The mixture of the extraction composition and the ore material can be stirred in the extraction zone. The mixture can be heated while being stirred to facilitate the selective removal of one or more components from the ore material. Stirring the extraction mixture in the extraction zone can form an extraction solution (or “liquid mixture”) comprising organic acids, impurity components, and optionally one or more additional components (e.g., non-metallic components and / or valuable metals) extracted from the ore material. The mixture can be stirred in the extraction unit for a period of time, the lower limit of which can be any of the following: 0.25 h, 0.5 h, 1 h, 2 h, 3 h, 4 h, 5 h, 6 h, 8 h, 10 h, 12 h, 14 h, 16 h, 18 h, and 20 h; the upper limit can be any of the following: 4 h, 5 h, 6 h, 7 h, 8 h, 10 h, 12 h, 14 h, 16 h, 18 h, 20 h, 22 h, 24 h, and 26 h, wherein any lower limit can be paired with any mathematically compatible upper limit. For example, the mixture can be heated (e.g., in an extraction unit), with the lower limit of the temperature range being any of the following: 20 ºC, 25 ºC, 27 ºC, 28 ºC, 29 ºC, 30 ºC, 35 ºC, 40 ºC, 45 ºC, 50 ºC, 60 ºC, 70 ºC, 80 ºC, 90 ºC, 95 ºC, and 99 ºC; and the upper limit being any of the following: 35 ºC, 40 ºC, 45 ºC, 50 ºC, 55 ºC, 60 ºC, 65 ºC, 70 ºC, 75 ºC, 80 ºC, 90 ºC, 95 ºC, 99 ºC, 100 ºC, 105 ºC, 110 ºC, 115 ºC, 120 ºC, and 125 ºC. ºC, where any lower limit can be paired with any mathematically compatible upper limit. In a non-limiting example, the method may include: adjusting the temperature of the extraction zone to a temperature in the range of 20 ºC to 100 ºC, and performing processing in the extraction zone for a time period ranging from 1 to 24 hours.

[0078] During the stirring step, one or more components may be selectively transferred from the ore material to the extraction composition, thereby forming an extraction mixture comprising the treated ore material and the extraction solution. The extraction solution of one or more embodiments includes the extraction composition and one or more components removed from the ore material, which may include one or more components selected from Mg, Fe, Si, Al, Mo, F, and other components (e.g., a smaller amount of Cu). In some embodiments, the one or more components may include Fe and / or Cu components as relatively minor components compared to Mg, Al, Mo, Si, and / or F components. In these embodiments, the extraction method is selective for removing Mg, Al, Mo, Si, and F components from the ore material. In some cases, although a certain amount of Fe may also be dissolved by the extraction composition, it is advantageous that the extraction composition selectively dissolves impurity components (such as Mg), resulting in a lower degree of Fe solubility. This can lead to maintaining and / or obtaining a higher Fe:impurity component ratio (e.g., Fe:Mg ratio) in the treated ore material than with conventional extraction compositions. Reducing Fe loss and improving the Fe:impurity ratio can advantageously improve heat transfer in subsequent smelting processes and increase the grade of metal ores and (e.g., Ni) recovery.

[0079] The one or more components may include impurities such as minerals, oxides, salts, or any combination thereof. Impurity components may include, but are not limited to, Mg, Fe, Al, Si, arsenic (As), P, F, etc. The Mg component may include one or more of Mg minerals, elemental Mg, Mg oxides, Mg salts having Mg cations, or any other form of Mg. The Al component may include one or more of Al minerals, elemental Al, Al oxides, Al salts having Al cations, or any other form of Al. The Mo component may include one or more of Mo minerals, elemental Mo, Mo oxides, Mo salts having Mo cations, or any other form of Mo. The Si component may include one or more of Si minerals, elemental Si, Si oxides, Si salts, or any other form of Si. The Fe component may include one or more of Fe minerals, elemental Fe, Fe oxides, Fe salts having Fe cations, or any other form of Fe. The F component may include one or more of fluoride ions, diatomic fluorine, or any other form of F. The P component may include one or more of phosphate ions, trivalent P, pentavalent P, elemental P, or any other form of P. The As component may include one or more of As minerals, elemental As, As oxides, As salts having As cations, or any other form of As.

[0080] The ore material may contain valuable metals. Valuable metals may be metals designated for enrichment for further downstream processing. In a non-limiting example, valuable metals may include copper (Cu) components, Fe components, Co components, Al components, Li components, Ni components, or combinations thereof. Copper (Cu) components may include Cu minerals, elemental Cu, Cu oxides, Cu salts having Cu cations, or any other form of Cu. Nickel (Ni) components may include Ni minerals, elemental Ni, Ni oxides, Ni salts having Ni cations, or any other form of Ni. Co components may include one or more of Co minerals, elemental Co, Co oxides, Co salts having Co cations, or any other form of Co. Fe components may include one or more of Fe minerals, elemental Fe, Fe oxides, Fe salts having Fe cations, or any other form of Fe. Al components may include one or more of Al minerals, elemental Al, Al oxides, Al salts having Al cations, or any other form of Al. Li components may include one or more of Li minerals, elemental Li, Li oxides, Li salts having Li cations, or any other form of Li.

[0081] Compared to untreated ore material, for example, the concentration of one or more impurity components (e.g., the one or more components described above) in treated ore material can be reduced, for example, relative to the percentage concentration of one or more impurity components in untreated ore material. One or more embodiments of the method can reduce the concentration of one or more impurity components in treated ore material by a certain relative percentage relative to untreated ore material. Compared to untreated ore, the lower limit of the relative percentage reduction in impurity components in treated ore can be any of the following: non-zero, 1%, 2%, 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, 30%, 35%, 40%, 45%, 50%, 55%, 60%, 65%, 70%, 75%, 80%, 85%, and 90%; the upper limit can be any of the following: 10%, 20%, 25%, 30%, 35%, 40%, 45%, 50%, 55%, 60%, 65%, 70%, 75%, 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 98%, 99%, 99.5%, 99.8%, 99.9%, and 100%, where any lower limit can be paired with any mathematically compatible upper limit.

[0082] In embodiments where impurities are present in the ore material in relatively low amounts (e.g., from about 0.001 wt% to about 5 wt%), such impurities may be referred to as penalty elements (or “penalty components”) and are considered unsuitable for further processing. These penalty components may render the ore material unsuitable for further use. Some non-limiting examples of penalty components include F, P, Si, As, Mg, Fe, etc. In embodiments where penalty elements are present in the ore material in relatively low amounts, the method may advantageously remove one or more impurity components from the ore material in relative percentages of 20% or more, 30% or more, 40% or more, 50% or more, 60% or more, 70% or more. In embodiments where the ore material is gangue or contains gangue, the method may advantageously increase the value of the ore material by removing penalty elements while retaining a relatively large percentage (e.g., 95%) of the gangue.

[0083] One or more embodiments of the method can reduce one or more impurity components in ore material to provide a total mass loss of impurity components of about 1 wt% to about 100 wt%. The lower limit of the reduction range of one or more components in the ore material can be any of the following: 1 wt%, 2.5 wt%, 5 wt%, 10 wt%, 15 wt%, 20 wt%, 25 wt%, 30 wt%, 35 wt%, 40 wt%, 45 wt%, 50 wt%, 55 wt%, 60 wt%, 65 wt%, 70 wt%, and 75 wt%; the upper limit can be any of the following: 20 wt%, 25 wt%, 30 wt%, 35 wt%, 40 wt%, 45 wt%, 50 wt%, 55 wt%, 60 wt%, 65 wt%, 70 wt%, 75 wt%, 80 wt%, 85 wt%, 90 wt%, 95 wt%, and 100 wt%, where any lower limit can be paired with any mathematically compatible upper limit.

[0084] In one or more embodiments, the content of one or more impurity components in the untreated ore material is in the range of 0.001 wt% to 99.999 wt%. The lower limit of the concentration range of one or more impurity components in the processed ore material may be any of the following: 0.001 wt%, 0.01 wt%, 0.05 wt%, 0.1 wt%, 0.25 wt%, 0.5 wt%, 1.0 wt%, 1.5 wt%, 2.0 wt%, 5 wt%, 10 wt%, 15 wt%, 20 wt%, 25 wt%, 30 wt%, 35 wt%, 40 wt%, 45 wt%, 50 wt%, 55 wt%, and 60 wt%; the upper limit may be any of the following: 2.0 wt%, 5 wt%, 10 wt%, 15 wt%, 20 wt%, 25 wt%, 30 wt%, 35 wt%, 40 wt%, 45 wt%, 50 wt%, 55 wt%, 60 wt%, 65 wt%, 70 wt%, 75 wt%, 80 wt%, 85 wt%, 90 wt%, 92.5 wt%, 95 wt%, 97.5 wt%, 99 wt%, 99.5 wt%, 99.9 wt%, 99.99 wt%, and 99.999 wt%, where any lower limit can be paired with any mathematically compatible upper limit.

[0085] In some embodiments, the treated ore material has a reduced content of one or more impurity components compared to untreated ore material. In one or more embodiments, the reduced impurity component content in the treated ore material ranges from 0 wt% to 99.99 wt%. The lower limit of the concentration range of one or more impurities in the processed ore material can be any of the following: 0 wt%, 0.01 wt%, 0.05 wt%, 0.1 wt%, 0.25 wt%, 0.5 wt%, 1.0 wt%, 1.5 wt%, 2.0 wt%, 5 wt%, 10 wt%, 15 wt%, 20 wt%, 25 wt%, 30 wt%, 35 wt%, 40 wt%, 45 wt%, 50 wt%, 55 wt%, and 60 wt%; the upper limit can be any of the following: 2.0 wt%, 5 wt%, 10 wt%, 15 wt%, 20 wt%, 25 wt%, 30 wt%, 35 wt%, 40 wt%, 45 wt%, 50 wt%, 55 wt%, 60 wt%, 65 wt%, 70 wt%, 75 wt%, 80 wt%, 85 wt%, 90 wt%, 92.5 wt%, 95 wt%, 96 wt%. The lower limits are 97 wt%, 98 wt%, 99 wt%, 99.95 wt%, and 99.99 wt%, where any lower limit can be paired with any mathematically compatible upper limit. As a non-limiting example, the reduced concentration of one or more impurity components in the treated ore material can be in the range of 0 to 95 wt%. In one or more embodiments, the amount of impurity components in the treated ore material is less than 98 wt%, less than 95 wt%, less than 90 wt%, 85 wt%, less than 80 wt%, less than 75 wt%, less than 50 wt%, less than 25 wt%, or less than 10 wt%. In some embodiments, the ore material is upgraded by selectively removing one or more of Mg, Al, F, S, P, Si, and Mo while retaining valuable metals (e.g., Fe, Li, Al, Cu, Co, and / or Ni) in the solid ore material.

[0086] One or more embodiments of the method may include separating treated ore material from an extraction mixture to collect the treated ore and the extraction solution. The treated ore material may be in solid form, such that separation of the treated ore material from the extraction solution can be performed by solid-liquid separation methods known to those skilled in the art. In some embodiments, the separation includes methods known to those skilled in the art, such as decantation, filtration, nanofiltration, membrane filtration, gravity filtration, centrifugation, etc. The separated treated ore material may be washed and dried. In some embodiments, the separated treated ore is transferred for further processing, including but not limited to smelting.

[0087] One or more of the aforementioned components, as well as one or more additional metal components, may be separated from the extraction solution, thereby regenerating the extraction composition. The extraction solution may be sent to a processing unit to regenerate the extraction composition. In some embodiments, separating the one or more components from the extraction solution includes: extracting the one or more components from the liquid mixture using one or more water treatment techniques. Extracting the one or more components from the extraction solution may include performing one or more water treatment techniques selected from the group consisting of: passing the extraction solution through an ion exchange system, extracting impurity components by solvent extraction, chromatography, filtration, membrane filtration, permeation separation (e.g., by reverse osmosis), using adsorption and / or absorption materials, pH control and precipitation, and combinations thereof. Water treatment techniques may include introducing the extraction solution into an ion exchange column, solvent extraction (e.g., two-phase solvent extraction), or both. Separation may be configured for components leached from the ore (e.g., Mg, Fe, Cu, Ni, Al, Si, P, S, etc.), the extraction composition, and / or one or more components present in the extraction composition.

[0088] One or more components of a biosolvent, biofluid, biosolvent and / or biofluid (e.g., organic acids), one or more valuable metals or combinations thereof, can be separated from an extraction solution by feeding the extraction solution into a system configured to perform the following operations: chromatography, filtration, nanofiltration, membrane filtration, osmosis separation (e.g., by reverse osmosis), use of adsorption and / or absorption materials, pH control and precipitation, solvent extraction, ion exchange chromatography and combinations thereof.

[0089] In one or more embodiments, one or more valuable metals are removed from the extraction solution using one or more water treatment techniques. In one or more embodiments, valuable metal components are selectively removed from the extraction solution, the extraction mixture, or both. The extracted valuable metals may be added to enriched ore material recovered from the extraction mixture. Advantageously, the methods of one or more embodiments can reduce or minimize the loss of valuable metals from the ore material, even with relatively low amounts of metal leaching into the extraction solution.

[0090] In some embodiments, separating and extracting a composition or one or more components thereof includes: extracting the composition or one or more components thereof from an extraction mixture, an extraction solution, or both. This extraction may be performed using one or more water treatment techniques selected from the group consisting of: centrifugation, passing the extraction solution through an ion exchange system, extracting magnesium components by solvent extraction, chromatography, nanofiltration, filtration, membrane filtration, using adsorption and / or absorption materials, pH control and precipitation, and combinations thereof.

[0091] The organic acid component, the biosolvent component, the biofluid component, or a combination thereof of the extraction composition can be separated from the extraction solution and / or extraction mixture and can subsequently be used to form a regenerated extraction composition. For example, at least a portion of the extraction composition can be separated from the extraction mixture, extraction solution, or a combination thereof by pH control and precipitation, chromatography, ion exchange, or filtration. The extracted portion can then be recovered as a solid precipitate, in aqueous solution, or both. In some embodiments, the organic acid component is the target for separation and recovery, thereby minimizing the loss of the extraction composition. Minimizing the loss of the extraction composition can facilitate further recycling of the extraction composition to form a regenerated extraction composition.

[0092] The regenerated extraction composition can be recovered and reused in subsequent extractions. For example, when the extracted portion is recovered as a solid precipitate, the precipitate can be redissolved to form the regenerated extraction composition. In some embodiments, the method includes repeated extraction, for example, using the regenerated extraction composition. In some embodiments, the regenerated extraction composition may be modified after recovery and before repeated extraction by adding an organic acid, an inorganic acid, or both, diluting the extraction composition, adjusting the pH of the extraction composition (e.g., using a pH adjuster that does not interfere with the extraction process), or any combination thereof. The regenerated extraction composition may be conveyed (i.e., introduced) to the extraction zone so that the regenerated extraction composition is recycled.

[0093] A simplified diagram of the non-restrictive extraction process and the cyclic process can be seen as follows: Figure 2 As shown. Figure 2 As shown in system 200, ore material, extraction composition, or both can be introduced into extraction zone 202 via feed line 201. The extraction solution can be introduced into component recovery zone 204 via input line 203A. The treated metallic ore material can be recovered from extraction zone 202 via output line 203B. The treated ore material can be analyzed, for example, by weighing, to determine the total mass difference compared to untreated ore material. Component recovery zone 204 may include components for selectively removing Mg, Mo, Al, F, Si, Fe, Ni, Cu, and other metallic and / or non-metallic atoms (e.g., indicated by line 205B) from the extraction solution, thereby regenerating the extraction composition. In one or more embodiments, F can be removed from Si-containing minerals or ore material.

[0094] One or more embodiments of the system may include an organic acid recovery unit ( Figure 2 (Not shown in the image). An organic acid recovery unit may include components for selectively removing and recovering organic acids (e.g., as biosolvents, biofluids, or combinations thereof) from an extraction solution. In some embodiments, the organic acid recovery unit includes components capable of regenerating the extraction composition from recovered organic acids in a recycled form.

[0095] One or more impurity components may be separated (or “stripped”) from the extraction solution along with one or more additional metal components (e.g., metal ore components, including but not limited to Fe, Ni, Co, Cu, Li, Al, etc.) to allow recovery of the extraction composition and mixtures or single metal components. In one or more embodiments, the Mg component may be the major component of the metal component mixture. In one or more embodiments, each impurity component and, where present, one or more additional metal ore components are recovered from the extraction solution as recovered components. In some embodiments, the purity of the recovered components ranges from 5% or higher, 10% or higher, 25% or higher, or 50% or higher. The purity of the recovered components may range from 5% to 100%. For example, the lower limit of the purity range of the recovered component can be any of the following: 1%, 5%, 7.5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, 30%, 35%, 40%, and 50%; the upper limit can be any of the following: 30%, 35%, 40%, 45%, 50%, 55%, 60%, 65%, 70%, 75%, 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 98%, 99%, 99.9%, 99.99%, and 100%, where any lower limit can be paired with any mathematically compatible upper limit.

[0096] The regenerated extraction composition may be fed into one or more extraction units in the extraction zone, for example, via one or more delivery lines (e.g., line 205A) in fluid communication with the component recovery zone 204 and the extraction zone 202. In some embodiments, the regenerated extraction composition is delivered to a storage tank, for example, for subsequent extraction processes. In some embodiments, the need for additional components (e.g., one or more additional components of the extraction composition) in the regenerated extraction composition may be determined by analyzing the extraction composition, the recovery efficiency of one or more metal atoms, or both. This analysis may be performed using methods or systems capable of measuring metal atoms and / or non-metal atoms in solid samples (e.g., ore materials), liquid samples (e.g., extraction solutions, regenerated extraction compositions), or both. Analysis of one or more embodiments may include: determining the total mass loss of untreated ore material; analyzing a sample (e.g., an extract solution sample) using absorption spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), gas chromatography (GC), mass spectrometry (MS), infrared spectroscopy (IR), inductively coupled plasma-emitting emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) of solutions, X-ray fluorescence (XRF) of solid samples, X-ray diffraction (XRD), modal mineralogy analysis (e.g., QEMSCAN®), redox potential (ORP), pH, conductivity, or a combination thereof.

[0097] One or more embodiments of the method may include providing a measurement system coupled to an extraction system to analyze one or more components of an extraction mixture (e.g., a regenerated extraction composition). The measurement system may include one or more components configured to perform analytical methods, including but not limited to ICP-OES, absorption measurements, fluorescence measurements (e.g., excitation and / or emission), HPLC, IR, GC, MS, XRD, XRF, modal mineralogy (e.g., QEMSCAN®), ORP, pH, conductivity, etc. The measurement system may include various pumps, flow control components, control systems, and other components. The measurement system may be configured to collect samples and analyze one or more components of the extraction mixture (e.g., a liquid sample of the extraction mixture) at set time intervals and time periods. In some embodiments, analysis of solid samples is performed at a remote location after separation and collection from the extraction mixture.

[0098] In some embodiments, analysis of the extracted sample is performed after each extraction in the extraction zone. Analysis of the regenerated extraction composition may be performed after processing in the component recovery zone. In some embodiments, the extracted sample, the regenerated extraction solution, or both are continuously measured by one or more components of the extraction system. In some embodiments, the extraction system includes one or more sensors capable of collecting data and / or transmitting data to a computer, which may be part of the extraction system or located off-site. In some embodiments, one or more parameters (e.g., composition of the cyclic extraction composition, temperature, pressure, residence time in the extraction zone, etc.) are adjusted based on data collected from the analytical measurements.

[0099] In some embodiments, the system 200 may include an extraction composition storage tank 206, allowing one or more components of the extraction composition to be introduced into the regenerated extraction composition via a pipeline 207. For example, components of the extraction composition may be introduced into the regenerated extraction composition to regenerate the acid concentration in the extraction composition, increase the concentration of the extraction composition, or dilute the extraction composition. In these embodiments, by introducing components to adjust the regenerated extraction composition, the extraction efficiency of the target metal component can be maintained or improved, the selectivity of the target metal component can be enhanced, or both can be achieved.

[0100] On the other hand, embodiments of this document relate to a method for improving the smelting efficiency of ore materials. This method for improving smelting efficiency may include one or more steps of a method for extracting one or more impurity components from the ore material (e.g., as...). Figure 1(As described in method 100). This method for improving smelting efficiency may include forming a mixture comprising an extraction composition and an ore material. The mixture may be as previously described. The method may include selectively removing one or more impurity components from the ore material. In one or more embodiments, the method includes selectively removing one or more impurity components from the ore material while reducing the amount of Fe component removed from the ore material, thereby increasing or maintaining the Fe:impurity ratio compared to conventional extraction compositions.

[0101] Although the method may include those described above and those such as Figure 1 The method steps shown may be one or more, but those skilled in the art will understand that some or all of the blocks may be performed in a different order, may be combined or omitted, and some or all of the blocks may be performed in parallel. Furthermore, these blocks may be performed actively or passively. Alternative methods include the use of these combinations of organic acids and conjugate bases to selectively remove gangue from other Ni-containing materials (including, but not limited to, lateritic nickel ore and nickel sulfides). Alternative methods include the use of these combinations of organic acids and conjugate bases to selectively remove gangue from other Cu-containing materials (including, but not limited to, copper carbonate, copper oxide, copper hydroxide, and combinations thereof). Alternative methods include the use of these combinations of organic acids and conjugate bases to selectively remove gangue from other Fe-containing materials (including, but not limited to, copper carbonate, copper oxide, copper hydroxide, and combinations thereof). The method according to the invention can be used in ore processing applications as part of a loading, stripping, and recycling loop to remove gangue from ore.

[0102] One or more embodiments of the method can advantageously achieve an upgrading effect on ore materials that is equal to or better than conventional processes. One or more embodiments of the process may be cost-effective and adaptable to equipment currently used in the mining industry. Compared to conventional processes, one or more embodiments of this disclosure can advantageously improve the smelting efficiency of the extracted ore material. Furthermore, the compositions and methods of one or more embodiments unexpectedly alter the selective removal of impurity components from the ore material in a manner significantly different in operation from more standard solvents (e.g., inorganic acids H₂SO₄) for dissolving atoms, salts, and / or minerals from copper ore materials. Moreover, mixtures of inorganic acids, organic acids, and / or ionic liquids at specific concentrations can reduce costs while retaining the advantage of selectively removing one or more impurity components from the ore material.

[0103] One or more embodiments of this disclosure are advantageous because organic acids and their conjugate bases, inorganic acids, ionic liquids, or combinations thereof improve the selective dissolution of impurities from ores. In some cases, the addition of inorganic acids and / or ionic liquids to an extraction composition comprising one or more organic acids further improves the removal of gangue material and impurities. Another advantage of this invention is that applying the disclosed process to ore materials allows for lower smelting temperatures, thereby enabling a reduction in carbon footprint and cost. One or more embodiments can advantageously support carbon sequestration. Furthermore, one or more embodiments for treating ore materials have a concentration effect, wherein the selective dissolution of impurities (e.g., Mg impurities) reduces slag formation and allows for a reduction in carbon footprint and cost. Another advantage of this disclosure is that applying the disclosed process to Cu ore materials (e.g., Cu concentrate) exposes more Cu and allows Cu inhibitors to work more effectively, capturing more value from the same amount of material. Another advantage of this disclosure is that applying the disclosed process to Fe ore materials (e.g., Fe concentrate) exposes more Fe and allows Fe inhibitors to work more effectively, capturing more value from the same amount of material.

[0104] Another advantage of this invention is that applying the disclosed process to Ni-containing ore materials (e.g., Ni sulfides, Ni oxides (such as laterite nickel ore), their tailings, or their concentrates and / or mixtures) allows for lower smelting temperatures, thereby enabling reductions in carbon footprint and cost. Another advantage of this invention is the concentration effect of applying the disclosed process to Ni-containing ore materials. Therefore, selective dissolution of Mg impurities from the concentrate reduces slag formation and allows for further reductions in carbon footprint and cost. A further advantage of this invention is that applying the disclosed process to ore materials containing and / or derived from nickel oxides exposes more Ni, allowing Ni inhibitors to work more effectively and capturing more value from the same amount of material.

[0105] Alternative methods include the selective removal of gangue from other materials, such as laterite nickel ore, nickel sulfides, aluminosilicates, bauxite, copper ore, and ultramafic tailings, using combinations of organic acids and conjugate bases. Alternative methods also include the selective extraction of valuable metals from gangue. These valuable metals include, but are not limited to, Fe, Li, Co, Ni, Cu, and Al.

[0106] Example The following examples are intended to illustrate several laboratory experiments performed to highlight the selectivity of impurity extraction according to one or more embodiments of this disclosure. These examples are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure.

[0107] Example 1 A mixture of an organic acid and its conjugate base was prepared, and these solvents were added to finely ground iron ore and incubated in a shaker at 50°C for 24 hours. Milli-Q water was used as a control. After incubation, the sample was centrifuged and the solvent was decanted. The solid sample was dried and measured on XRF after a borate melt pretreatment.

[0108] Figure 3 The percentage changes in Fe ore composition are shown after treatment with 1 M gluconate / citrate (pH 3.35), 1 M formate (pH 3.55), and a 1 M mixture (pH 3.20) containing citrate (40% w / v), oxalate (40% w / v), and gluconate (20% w / v). These results indicate that little or no Fe is removed from the ore samples, but approximately 16% to 21% of aluminum (Al) and approximately 10% to 18% of silica (in...) are removed. Figure 3 The ore contains approximately 2% to 5% phosphorus (P) and Si (represented by Si). Therefore, treatment with a selected combination of organic acid and conjugate base increased the amount of Al, Si, and P impurities removed from Fe ore compared to the control group.

[0109] Example 2 This example follows the procedure of Example 1, except that it tests and compares different pH values. Figure 4The changes in the percentage composition of Al, Si, P, and Fe after treatment with 1 M formate (pH 1.8), 1 M formate (pH 3.55), a 1 M mixture containing citrate (40% w / v), oxalate (40% w / v), and gluconate (20% w / v) (pH 0.79), and a 1 M mixture containing citrate (40% w / v), oxalate (40% w / v), and gluconate (20% w / v) (pH 3.20) (pH 3.20) are shown. These results again indicate that little or no Fe was removed from the samples. Treatment with 1 M formate (pH 3.55) removed approximately 16%, approximately 18%, and approximately 4% of Al, Si, and P, respectively. Conversely, treatment with 1 M formate (pH 1.8) removed only approximately -11%, -5%, and 1% of Al, Si, and P, respectively. Furthermore, treatment with a 1 M mixture (pH 3.20) containing citrate (40% w / v), oxalate (40% w / v), and gluconate (20% w / v) removed approximately 21%, approximately 17%, and approximately 6% of Al, Si, and P, respectively. Conversely, treatment with a 1 M mixture (pH 0.79) containing citrate (40% w / v), oxalate (40% w / v), and gluconate (20% w / v) removed only approximately -8%, approximately -7%, and approximately 3% of Al, Si, and P, respectively. Therefore, under acidic conditions, increasing the treatment pH towards neutral pH resulted in increased removal of Al, Si, and P impurities while retaining more Fe in the ore.

[0110] Example 3 This example follows the procedure of Example 1, except that different concentrations of organic acids were tested and compared. The effectiveness of gluconic acid and oxalic acid in removing Al from Fe ore was tested at concentrations of 31.25 mM, 62.5 mM, 125 mM, 250 mM, 500 mM, and 1 M. Figure 5 As shown, for gluconic acid, optimal results were obtained at concentrations of 250 mM and 1 M, with each concentration removing approximately 1.4% of Al from the sample. For oxalic acid, optimal results were obtained at a concentration of 500 mM, removing approximately 2.8% of Al from the sample. Therefore, the concentration of organic acids affects the solubility of impurities in Fe ore, and higher concentrations do not always indicate increased solubility.

[0111] Example 4 A mixture of inorganic acid and organic acid and their conjugate base was prepared, and these solvents were added to the ore and tailings, and incubated for 96 hours at room temperature in a paddle stirrer. Milli-Q water was used as a control. After incubation, the samples were centrifuged and the solvent was decanted. The solid samples were dried and measured on XRF.

[0112] Figure 6 The percentages of aluminum, calcium, magnesium, and silica removed from ores and tailings are shown. Several organic acids exhibited better removal of these components compared to inorganic acids. For example, citrates showed better removal of calcium oxide (CaO) and silica (SiO2) than hydrochloric acid (HCl), sulfuric acid (H2SO4), or phosphoric acid (H3PO4). Furthermore, oxalic acid removed more alumina (Al2O3) than any of the inorganic acids tested. The amount of magnesium oxide (MgO) removed by oxalic acid was also comparable to that removed by inorganic acids. In addition, citrates, oxalic acid, malic acid, and gluconic acid removed more SiO2 than any of the inorganic acids. Moreover, formic acid showed relatively selective removal of CaO, i.e., little or no removal of Al2O3, MgO, or SiO2.

[0113] Example 5 Prepare separate extraction solutions and control (i.e., "control") solutions as aqueous solutions according to the amounts shown in Table 1 below. It is worth noting that Control-1 was prepared using tap water, while the remaining samples were prepared using Milli-Q water.

[0114] Table 1: Composition of the extraction solution

[0115] Copper concentrate (10 wt%) was added to each solution. The solutions were then stirred at 60 ºC for 24 hours. Liquid samples were taken at 2 hours, 6 hours, and 24 hours and measured on ICP-OES. These results from the measurements at 2 hours, 6 hours, and 24 hours are shown below. Figures 7A to 7C The data included the aqueous concentrations of key components in the solution. In particular, oxalic acid and gluconic acid showed less copper solubility in solution compared to other organic acids and the control group.

[0116] Example 6 Prepare separate extraction solutions and control (i.e., "control") solutions as aqueous solutions according to the amounts shown in Table 1 above. It is worth noting that the control-1 sample was prepared using tap water, while the remaining samples were prepared using Milli-Q water.

[0117] Copper concentrate (10 wt%) was added to each solution. The solutions were then stirred at 60 ºC for 24 hours. The percentage of dissolved components was assessed by combining the total mass loss value with XRF and ICP-OES measurements. Combined data on the percentage of dissolution of Al, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mo, and Si are shown in [Figure / Table / Insert Table ...Insert Table / Table / Insert Table / Insert Table / Insert Table / Insert Table / Insert Table / Insert Table / Insert Table / Insert Table / Insert Table / Insert Table / Insert Table / Figure 8 The results showed that Examples-3 and-4, containing oxalic acid and gluconic acid respectively, exhibited the greatest selectivity for the dissolution of Al, Fe, Mg, and Si, while retaining Cu in the solid concentrate material.

[0118] Example 7 The recycling of the extraction solution was evaluated using an ion exchange column with AmberLite™ IRC120 H-type ion exchange resin. Specifically, the extraction process (or “leaching”) of copper concentrate (approximately 10 wt%, 51 g (g) solids) was carried out for 24 hours at 60 ºC using gluconic acid (1 M, 400 mL).

[0119] After 24 hours, any remaining solids were separated from the extraction solution. The extraction solution was then passed through and stirred with resin (i.e., resin-slurry method) to remove metal components (i.e., cations of Al, Mg, Fe, and Mo) and to regenerate the extraction composition. The results are shown in... Figure 9 This demonstrates the adsorption of cations onto the resin over time. The regenerated extraction composition was then used to process fresh copper concentrate (a suspension of 10 wt% solids in water).

[0120] The percentage of dissolved components in the extract solution was determined after the first and second extractions, and the results are shown in... Figure 10 For example, the percentage of dissolved components can be assessed by combining the total volume loss of the liquid extraction composition with ICP-OES measurements of the extraction solution. Figure 10 The data shown indicate that, after recycling the extraction composition, there is no loss of selectivity in removing Mg from copper concentrate relative to the removal of copper.

[0121] Example 8 A citric acid aqueous solution (200 mL, 1 M, mol / L) and a control aqueous solution containing sulfuric acid (200 mL, 1 M) were introduced into 10 wt% nickel sulfide concentrate (20 g (g) solid). Each mixture was stirred at 70 ºC for 24 hours. Samples were taken from each solution at intermittent time intervals. Specifically, for the control extraction mixture, samples were taken at 1 hour, 2 hours, 3 hours, 4 hours, and 5 hours, and at 24 hours; for the citric acid extraction mixture, samples were taken at 1 hour, 2 hours, 3 hours, 4 hours, and 5 hours, and at 24 hours.

[0122] After collecting each sample, any solids were removed from the extraction mixture. The percentage of dissolved metal components was determined by combining the total volume loss of the liquid with ICP-OES measurements of the extraction solution. Results for sulfuric acid are shown below. Figure 11A The results for citric acid solution are shown in Figure 11B .(exist Figure 11A It was observed that treating nickel sulfide concentrate with sulfuric acid resulted in the continuous loss of Ni, Fe, and Mg metal components. In contrast, citric acid solution showed selectivity in the extraction of Mg components (e.g., as magnesium oxide (MgO)) compared to Fe, Ni, and S components.

[0123] Example 9 Sulfuric acid (1 M, 200 mL) and different organic acid solutions (1 M total organic acid concentration, 200 mL) were added separately to different 10 wt% nickel sulfide concentrate samples (20 g solid). Each solution mixture was stirred at 50 ºC for 24 h. After 24 hours, the solid nickel sulfide concentrate was separated from the acidic solutions. The percentage of dissolved components was assessed by combining the total mass loss of the solid nickel sulfide concentrate with X-ray fluorescence (XRF) measurements of the separated solids. Metal atom extraction results for each acid are shown in the figure. Figure 12 .

[0124] like Figure 12 As shown, citric acid and malic acid both exhibited the highest selectivity for Mg dissolution compared to Ni, Fe, and Co atoms. Conversely, sulfuric acid showed the highest selectivity for Fe relative to the extraction of Mg, Ni, and Co.

[0125] Example 10 The extractability of a mixture of organic acids (1 M and 1.3 M total organic acid concentrations, 200 mL) and a 1 M citric acid solution (200 mL) in 10 wt% nickel sulfide concentrate (20 g solid) was evaluated. Each solution mixture was stirred at 70 ºC for 24 h. After 24 h, the solid nickel sulfide concentrate was separated from the acidic solutions. The amount of metal atoms dissolved from the solid nickel sulfide concentrate was assessed using ICP-OES measurements of the extracted liquid solutions after separation from the solids. The metal atom extraction results for each acid are shown below. Figure 13 As shown in the figure, the organic acid mixture exhibits higher selectivity for Mg compared to Ni and Fe.

[0126] Example 11 The extraction performance of sulfuric acid (pH 0.18, 200 mL) and 1 M citric acid solution (200 mL) at different pH values ​​was compared, and the extraction selectivity was evaluated in 10 wt% nickel sulfide concentrate (20 g solid). Each solution mixture was stirred at 50 ºC for 24 h. After 24 hours, the solid nickel sulfide concentrate was separated from the acidic solution. The percentage of dissolved metal atoms was assessed by combining the total mass loss with XRF measurements of the separated solid. The extraction results are presented in… Figure 14 middle.

[0127] exist Figure 14 In the study, solutions containing acidic citric acid at different pH levels, namely citric acid 1 (pH 0.86) and citric acid 2 (pH 2.25), exhibited higher selectivity for Mg extraction compared to citric acid solutions at pH 4.13 and 8.05. Notably, the selectivity of the citric acid solutions at pH 4.13 and 8.05 showed a reversal of selectivity for Fe extraction, rather than selectivity for Mg. Therefore, as... Figure 14 As shown, the pH of the extraction composition containing organic acids can be optimized to improve selectivity for Mg components (e.g., MgO) compared to Ni and Fe.

[0128] Example 12 Three 10 wt% nickel sulfide concentrate samples (20 g solid) were introduced into 1 M citric acid solution (200 mL). Each of the three samples was stirred for 24 h at different temperatures (i.e., 22 ºC, 50 ºC, and 70 ºC). After 24 h, the solid nickel sulfide concentrate was separated from the acidic solution. The percentage of dissolved metal atoms was assessed by combining the total volume loss with ICP-OES measurements of the extracted liquid solution after separation from the solid. Figure 15 As shown, adjusting the temperature of the extraction mixture enhances the extraction selectivity of citric acid for the Mg component compared to Fe and Ni.

[0129] Example 13 The selectivity of different concentrations of citric acid solutions for the extraction of components such as iron, Mg, Ni, and S was evaluated. In this example, different solutions of varying concentrations (0.1 M, 0.3 M, 0.5 M, 0.7 M, and 0.9 M) were introduced into a nickel sulfide concentrate (10 wt%, 20 g solids). Each mixture was processed at 70 ºC, and samples were obtained at selected time intervals (1 h, 2 h, 3 h, 4 h, 5 h, 6 h, 7 h, and 24 h).

[0130] Figures 16A to 16DThis is a graph showing the results of the extraction of the components (Fe, Mg, Ni, and S, respectively, over time). The results determined that the citric acid concentration between 0.3 M and 1.0 M (i.e., 0.9 M) exhibited the greatest selectivity for the Mg component relative to the other components over time.

[0131] Example 14 By culturing the same Aspergillus species (i.e., ...) in different culture media Aspergillus niger (ATCC1015) produced three different biosolvents (i.e., biosolvents 3 to 5). MilliQ water was used as the base solution for media 2 and 3 to produce biosolvents 4 and 5, respectively, while tap water adjusted to pH 5 was used as the base solution for media 1 to produce biosolvent 3. The culture medium formulations for all media types were based on standard M9 medium.

[0132] In medium 1, all salt concentrations (excluding nitrogen and phosphate) were the same as described in the standard M9 formulation. In media 2 and 3, the sodium chloride concentration was reduced to 0.5 g / L. Media 3 differed from media 2 in that its pH was adjusted to 5 prior to autoclaving. A mixture of ATCC trace mineral and vitamin solutions was added to all media at a rate of 1 mL / L, as were the Mg and calcium solutions. After autoclaving, glucose was added at a rate of 75 g / L using a pre-dissolved 50% w / v glucose solution from Teknova.

[0133] The inoculation procedure is the same for all culture medium types. Aspergillus species preserved in 15% glycerol ( Aspergillus spp. The cultures were aseptically thawed and directly transferred to growth medium. Prior to harvest, the cultures were incubated for one week in baffled polycarbonate flasks at 25 ºC, 60% humidity, and 150 RPM. At harvest, the cultures were first filtered through coarse cotton cloth, then vacuum filtered through a 0.22 μm polyester sulfone membrane. Figure 17 As shown, using different culture media can affect the production of different proportions of organic acids in the unpurified biological fluid.

[0134] Example 15 The unpurified biosolvent obtained in Example 14 was used in the ore extraction process for three examples (ore:biosolvent ratio of 1:10). 4 g of nickel sulfide concentrate was added to 40 mL of biosolvent to produce a solution mixture. Each solution mixture was stirred at 70 ºC for 24 hours. After 24 hours, the solid nickel sulfide concentrate was separated from the acidic solution. Three additional examples were performed in which hydrochloric acid (HCl) was added to each of biosolvents 3, 4, and 5 to lower the pH from 4–5 to 1–2, which was then used to evaluate the extraction of the ore material. Two comparative examples were performed using the same ore-solvent ratio with 1M sulfuric acid and 1M citric acid.

[0135] The results are presented in Figure 18 The results show that biosolvents exhibit selectivity for removing Mg components from ore materials. Interestingly, biosolvents 4 and 5, with oxalic acid as the main acid component, show a reversal of selectivity for Mg and are primarily selective for iron, such as... Figure 18 As shown. It is worth noting that, Figure 18 The results shown indicate that the unpurified biofluid exhibits enhanced selectivity for Mg removal compared to inorganic acid solvents or citric acid solvents. Furthermore, the unpurified biofluids 4 and 5 with added HCl showed minimal iron removal while simultaneously increasing the percentage of Mg dissolved, compared to extraction processes using only biofluids 4 and 5.

[0136] Methods in Examples 16 to 18: Comparative Extraction The results for each of Examples 16 to 18 were obtained by adding 4 grams of nickel sulfide concentrate to 40 mL of either a biofluid or a model biosolvent to produce a solution mixture. The model biosolvent was prepared by adding each organic acid found in the biofluid mixture (e.g., ...) Figure 17 The purified fraction (shown) was produced by adding MilliQ water. Each solution mixture was stirred at 70 ºC for 24 hours. After 24 hours, the solid nickel sulfide concentrate was separated from the acidic solution.

[0137] Example 16: Result Comparative experiments were conducted to determine whether a synergistic effect was observed with biosolvent 3 (produced as described in Example 14) compared to the model solvent. The results are shown in... Figure 19 This indicates that, compared to other components, unpurified biosolvent 3 is advantageously and unexpectedly more selective for Mg. Therefore, biosolvent 3 exhibits a synergistic effect compared to the synthetic mixture of model biosolvent 3.

[0138] Example 17: Result Comparative experiments were conducted to determine whether a synergistic effect was observed with biosolvent 4 (produced as described in Example 14) compared to the model solvent. The results are shown in... Figure 20This indicates that, compared to other components, unpurified biosolvent 4 exhibits advantageously and unexpectedly greater selectivity for Mg. Conversely, the synthetic mixture of organic acid components demonstrates higher selectivity for the removal of iron and sulfur. Therefore, biosolvent 4 (an unpurified fermentation broth) exhibits a synergistic effect compared to the synthetic mixture of model biosolvent 4.

[0139] Example 18: Result Comparative experiments were conducted to determine whether a synergistic effect was observed with biosolvent 5 (produced as described in Example 14) compared to the model solvent. The results are shown in... Figure 21 This indicates a reversal of selectivity in unpurified biosolvent 5, which, compared to other components, is advantageously and unexpectedly more selective for Mg while removing very little iron. Conversely, the synthetic mixture of organic acid components exhibits higher selectivity for removing iron and sulfur. Therefore, biosolvent 5 (an unpurified fermentation broth) demonstrates a synergistic effect compared to the synthetic mixture of model biosolvent 5.

[0140] Example 19 The recycling of the extraction composition was evaluated using an ion exchange column with AmberLite™ IRC120 H-type ion exchange resin. Specifically, an extraction process (or “leaching”) was performed on 10 wt% nickel sulfide concentrate (20 g solids) at 70 ºC for 24 hours using citric acid (1 M, 200 mL).

[0141] After 24 hours, any remaining solids are separated from the extraction solution. The extraction solution is passed through an ion exchange column to remove the metal components (i.e., cations of Fe, Mg, and Ni) and to regenerate the extraction composition. The regenerated extraction composition is used to treat fresh nickel sulfide concentrate (a suspension of 10 wt% solids in water).

[0142] The percentage of dissolved components in the extract solution was determined after the first and second extractions, and the results are shown in... Figure 22 For example, the percentage of dissolved components can be assessed by combining the total volume loss of the liquid extraction composition with ICP-OES measurements of the extraction solution. Figure 22 The data shown indicate that, after recycling the extraction composition, there is no loss of selectivity for removing Mg from nickel sulfide concentrate relative to the removal of iron, Ni, and S.

[0143] Example 20 The recycling potential of the extract composition was evaluated by solvent extraction of a model leachate containing 5 g / L (g / L) of iron (from FeCl2), 5 g / L of Mg (from MgCl2), and 1 g / L of Ni (from NiCl2) dissolved in a 1 M citric acid solution adjusted to pH 3.5.

[0144] The model extract solution was mixed with an organic solvent phase. The organic solvent phase consisted of 40 wt% di(2-ethylhexyl)phosphoric acid (DEHPA) and 55% saponified sodium hydroxide (NaOH) in kerosene. The solvent was shaken for 3 minutes and allowed to settle. Separation of the aqueous and organic phases was observed. Samples were taken from the organic and aqueous phases for analysis and compared with the initial aqueous sample (i.e., the model leachate).

[0145] The concentration of metal ions in the extraction solution is presented as follows: Figure 23 Specifically, compared to the extraction solution before two-phase treatment, the amount of iron and Mg ions in the aqueous phase was significantly reduced after two-phase extraction with an organic solvent. This indicates that the extraction composition can be regenerated and recycled using two-phase solvent extraction, as a relatively large portion of the Mg and iron components can be separated into the organic solvent phase.

[0146] Example 21 Solvent exchange procedures were employed to evaluate solvent-assisted regeneration of extract solutions containing Ni, Fe, and Mg. This study used 40 vol% DEHPA in a kerosene diluent added to the extract solution (containing 1 M citric acid). The extract solutions exhibited the properties shown in Table 2 below, including pH, redox potential (ORP), and Fe, Mg, and Ni content in grams per liter (gpl).

[0147] Table 2: Properties of Biosolvents

[0148] Three extraction shaking tests were performed by adding the extraction composition (100 mL) and 40 vol% DEHPA (200 mL) to a 500 mL separatory funnel. For the first test, the two phases were mixed for 5 minutes, then separated, and the pH, ORP, and metal concentration of the aqueous solution were analyzed.

[0149] Subsequent tests were conducted in the same manner, except that caustic soda (NaOH) was added to raise the pH. For example, in Test 2, 19.5 mL of 10 M caustic soda was added to a separatory funnel containing the biosolvent and DEHPA solution, and then mixed for 5 minutes. After mixing, the phases were separated, and the pH, ORP, and metal concentration of the aqueous solution were analyzed. In Test 3, 33 mL of 10 M caustic soda was added and mixed for 5 minutes, followed by separation and analysis.

[0150] The relationship between metal recovery rate and equilibrium pH is shown in the figure. Figure 24 .like Figure 24 As shown, Fe and Mg were extracted from the aqueous phase by adjusting the pH during solvent exchange and by performing a shaking test each time. Specifically, Fe recovery reached greater than 90%, and Mg recovery reached approximately 70%.

[0151] To ensure that the biosolvent did not transfer into the organic phase (i.e., DEHPA + diluent), the active component (i.e., citric acid) in the aqueous phase was analyzed in the starting solution and after each shaking test. The biosolvent concentration (in millimoles per mmol) was back-calculated to correct for dilution during caustic alkali addition. The results are shown in Table 3 below, which demonstrates that the biosolvent did not transfer into the organic phase during contact with DEHPA.

[0152] Table 3: Concentration of active components in biosolvents

[0153] The method according to the invention can be used in ore processing applications as part of a leaching, separation and regeneration loop to remove gangue from ore.

[0154] Example 22 Metal extraction using DEHPA was performed by multiple extractions using 40 vol% DEHPA in a diluent (i.e., kerosene) and an extraction solution containing significantly less dissolved metal than was present in the previously described example. Metal concentrations and pH values ​​are shown in Table 4 below.

[0155] Table 4: pH and metal concentration of the extraction solution

[0156] The extraction shaking test was performed by adding the extraction solution (70 mL) and 40 vol% DEHPA (140 mL) to a 500 mL separatory funnel. 10 M sodium hydroxide solution (23 mL) was added to the separatory funnel, and the two phases were mixed for 5 minutes to separate the phases, and the pH and metal concentration of the aqueous phase were measured. The aqueous phase (or “raffinate”) was collected from the first shaking test and brought to a second contact with fresh DEHPA (140 mL) in a separatory funnel; 9 mL of 10 M sodium hydroxide was added and mixed for 5 minutes, then the phases were separated. The pH and metal concentration of each collected aqueous phase were analyzed. The extraction results are shown in Table 5 below.

[0157] Table 5: Extraction results of the aqueous phase

[0158] Metal extraction of Fe and Mg was significantly improved due to the low metal concentration in the extraction solution and the second contact with fresh DEHPA, while Ni was not extracted. The overall recoveries of Fe and Mg after the two contacts were 99.2% and 90.4%, respectively.

[0159] Example 23 Tests were conducted to investigate the precipitation of citric acid into calcium citrate using calcium chloride (CaCl2) and pH adjustment with NaOH. Sodium hydroxide was used for pH adjustment because sodium citrate has a higher solubility in water than calcium citrate. Chlorinated calcium oxide / calcium hydroxide was not specifically used to prevent the possibility of localized precipitation of metal or citric acid on the surface of solid particles and to improve kinetics, as these solids have only moderate solubility in water. Tests were performed using extraction solutions with the pH and metal concentrations shown in Table 6 below.

[0160] Table 6: pH and metal concentration of the extraction solution

[0161] The tests were conducted at room temperature using a 250 mL beaker and a stir bar on a magnetically stirred plate. The extract (50 mL) was added to the beaker and stirred. 0.1 M CaCl2 was added, followed by the gradual addition of 10 M NaOH to raise the pH. After each addition of sodium hydroxide, the solution was mixed for 15 minutes, and the pH was measured. Samples were taken at pH 5.6 and 8.4, and the concentrations of the metal and citric acid were analyzed. Table 7 below lists the measured concentration results.

[0162] Table 7: Measurement of pH and concentration of samples

[0163] The results in Table 7 show that citric acid concentration did not decrease at pH 5.6, but decreased at pH 8.4, while the decrease in metal concentration was minimal. Although optimization was not performed for calcium concentration, kinetics, temperature, pH, etc., the measured concentrations of different samples suggest that citric acid precipitation may be a feasible method for selectively precipitating calcium citrate and separating it from metal ions to allow for the regeneration of biosolvents for subsequent extraction. For example, it is conceivable that an acid (e.g., sulfuric acid) would be added to convert calcium citrate to citric acid by precipitating calcium sulfate, thereby redissolving the citric acid in aqueous solution.

[0164] Example 24 Extraction solutions from two different Ni sulfide concentrates from various locations worldwide were compared. A 10 wt% sample of each Ni sulfide concentrate (20 g solid) was introduced into an extraction composition containing 200 mL of 1 M citric acid solution. Both samples were stirred at 70 ºC for 24 h. After 24 h, the solid Ni sulfide concentrate was separated from the acidic solution. The percentage of dissolved metal atoms was assessed by combining the total volume loss with ICP-OES measurements of the extracted liquid solution after separation from the solid.

[0165] The selectivity of Mg dissolution compared to Ni and iron dissolution is shown in... Figure 25 .like Figure 25 As shown, the extraction composition is more selective in removing Mg and iron compared to Ni extraction from nickel sulfide concentrate.

[0166] Publications and other references cited herein to describe the background art of the invention and to provide additional details about its implementation are hereby incorporated by reference. References discussed herein provide only their disclosure prior to the filing date of this application. Nothing herein should be construed as an admission that the inventor is not authorized to distinguish such disclosure from the invention currently described.

[0167] Throughout the application, ordinal numbers (e.g., first, second, third) may be used as adjectives for elements (i.e., any noun in this application). Unless explicitly disclosed, for example by using terms such as “before,” “after,” or “single,” the use of ordinal numbers does not imply or establish a particular order of elements, nor does it limit any element to being a single element. Rather, the use of ordinal numbers is for the purpose of distinguishing elements. For example, a first element is different from a second element, and a first element may contain more than one element and be located after (or before) the second element in the element order.

[0168] It should be understood that, unless the context explicitly specifies otherwise, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural references. Thus, for example, a reference to “a horizontal beam” includes reference to one or more such beams. In another example, a reference to a composition containing “a conjugate base” includes a mixture of two or more conjugate bases, a reference to “an organic acid” includes a reference to one or more such organic acids, and a reference to “an ionic liquid” includes a reference to a mixture of two or more ionic liquids.

[0169] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains.

[0170] Terms such as “about” or “basically” mean that the listed features, parameters or values ​​do not need to be implemented precisely, but can be subject to deviations or variations, including, for example, tolerances, measurement errors, measurement accuracy limitations and other factors known to those skilled in the art, as long as the amount of such deviations or variations does not impede the effect that the feature is intended to provide.

[0171] It should be understood that one or more steps shown in the flowchart may be omitted, repeated, or performed in a different order than shown. Therefore, the scope of disclosure should not be considered limited to the specific arrangement of steps shown in the flowchart.

[0172] Although not multiple dependent claims are introduced, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the subject matter of the dependent claims of one or more embodiments can be combined with other dependent claims.

[0173] While only a few exemplary embodiments have been described in detail above, those skilled in the art will readily understand that many modifications can be made to the exemplary embodiments without substantially departing from the invention. Therefore, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of this disclosure as defined by the following claims.

Claims

1. A method for selectively removing gangue or impurities from ore material, the method comprising: An extraction composition is formed, the extraction composition comprising one or more components at a selected concentration and a selected pH, the one or more components being selected from the group consisting of inorganic acids, organic acids and ionic liquids; The ore material is contacted with the extraction composition at a selected temperature for a selected time to dissolve the gangue or impurities, thereby producing treated ore material and an extraction solution; and The treated ore material is separated from the extraction solution containing dissolved gangue or impurities.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The gangue or impurity includes at least one of aluminum, silicon, silica, phosphorus, magnesium, calcium, iron, nickel, copper, molybdenum, fluorine, arsenic and lithium.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The organic acids include at least one of citric acid, malic acid, formic acid, lactic acid, acetic acid, itaconic acid, tartaric acid, hydroxypropionic acid, phthalic acid, hexadecenoic acid, heptadecanic acid, gallic acid, aspartic acid, succinic acid, oleic acid, tannic acid, palmitic acid, glycine, proline, serine, alanine, and combinations thereof.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein, The organic acids are produced by microorganisms.

5. The method according to claim 3 or 4, wherein, The organic acids are derived from biological sources.

6. The method according to claim 3, wherein, The organic acid is produced through synthesis.

7. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The extraction composition also includes a biological fluid obtained from organic acid-producing microorganisms.

8. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The selected pH is in the range of about 1.5 to about 6.

5.

9. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The selected pH is in the range of about 0.01 to 6.

5.

10. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The selected temperature is at least about 20 ºC.

11. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The selected temperature is in the range of about 20 ºC to about 100 ºC.

12. The method according to any one of the preceding claims further comprises crushing the ore material into particles of a selected size before contacting the ore material with the extraction composition.

13. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The extraction composition also includes silicates and / or other enzymes.

14. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The extraction composition comprises a first organic acid, optional additional organic acids, and optional inorganic acids.

15. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The inorganic acid is selected from the group consisting of hydrochloric acid, phosphoric acid, nitric acid, sulfuric acid, and combinations thereof.

16. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The ore material includes gangue, ore tailings, ore concentrate, ore, waste rock, or any combination thereof.

17. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The contact also includes removing gangue or impurities from the ore material, thereby improving the ore grade of the ore material.

18. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising: Separate the gangue and / or impurities from the extraction solution; and The extracted composition is recovered to produce a recovered extracted composition. The purity of one or more separated components is in the range of 10% to 100%.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein, Separating the gangue and / or impurities from the extraction solution includes using one or more water treatment techniques to extract the gangue and / or impurities from the extraction solution.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein, The one or more water treatment technologies are selected from the group consisting of: passing the extraction solution through an ion exchange system, using solvent extraction, chromatography, filtration, membrane filtration, osmosis separation, using adsorption and / or absorption materials, using pH control and precipitation, or combinations thereof.

21. A mixture comprising: Extraction composition; as well as mineral materials in: The extraction composition comprises one or more selected from the group consisting of biological solvents, biological fluids, organic acids, inorganic acids, and ionic liquids. The extraction composition is configured to selectively dissolve impurity components, valuable metals, or combinations thereof from the ore material.

22. The mixture according to claim 21, wherein, The impurity component, valuable metal, or both include at least one of aluminum, silicon dioxide, phosphorus, magnesium, calcium, iron, molybdenum, nickel, copper, and lithium.

23. The mixture according to any one of claims 21 to 22, wherein, The organic acids include at least one of citric acid, malic acid, formic acid, lactic acid, acetic acid, itaconic acid, tartaric acid, hydroxypropionic acid, phthalic acid, hexadecenoic acid, heptadecanic acid, gallic acid, aspartic acid, succinic acid, oleic acid, tannic acid, palmitic acid, glycine, proline, serine, alanine, and combinations thereof.

24. The mixture according to any one of claims 21 to 23, wherein, The pH of the extraction composition is in the range of about 1.5 to about 6.

5.

25. The mixture according to any one of claims 21 to 24, wherein, The pH of the extraction composition is in the range of about 0.01 to 6.

5.

26. The mixture according to any one of claims 21 to 25, wherein, The mixture is adjusted to a temperature of at least about 20 ºC to facilitate selective extraction.

27. The mixture according to any one of claims 21 to 26, wherein, The mixture is adjusted to a temperature ranging from approximately 20 ºC to approximately 100 ºC to facilitate selective extraction.

28. The mixture according to any one of claims 21 to 27, wherein, The ore material includes gangue, ore tailings, ore concentrate, ore, or any combination thereof.

29. The mixture according to any one of claims 21 to 28, wherein, The extraction composition also includes silicates and / or other enzymes.

30. The mixture according to any one of claims 21 to 29, wherein, The impurity components are gangue, one or more valuable metals, one or more non-metallic atoms and / or compounds, or any combination thereof.

31. A method for dissolving one or more impurity components from tailings, ore matrix, ore concentrate, gangue, or combinations thereof to support carbon sequestration, the method comprising: An extraction composition is formed, the extraction composition comprising one or more selected from inorganic acids, organic acids and ionic liquids at selected concentrations and pH; The tailings, the ore matrix, the gangue, or both the tailings and the ore matrix are contacted with the extraction composition for a selected time at a selected temperature to dissolve one or more impurity components, thereby producing an extraction solution and treated tailings, treated ore matrix, treated ore concentrate, treated gangue, or a combination thereof. and The treated tailings, the treated ore matrix, the treated ore concentrate, or a combination thereof, are separated from the extraction solution.

32. The method according to claim 31, wherein, The organic acids include citric acid, malic acid, formic acid, lactic acid, acetic acid, itaconic acid, tartaric acid, hydroxypropionic acid, phthalic acid, hexadecenoic acid, heptadecanonic acid, gallic acid, aspartic acid, succinic acid, oleic acid, tannic acid, palmitic acid, glycine, proline, serine, alanine, and combinations thereof.

33. The method according to claim 31 or 32, wherein, The organic acids are produced by microorganisms.

34. The method according to any one of claims 31 to 33, wherein, The organic acids are derived from biological sources.

35. The method according to claim 31 or 32, wherein, The organic acid is produced through synthesis.

36. The method according to any one of claims 31 to 35, wherein, The selected pH is in the range of about 1.5 to about 6.

5.

37. The method according to any one of claims 31 to 36, wherein, The selected pH is in the range of about 0.01 to 6.

5.

38. The method according to any one of claims 31 to 37, wherein, The selected temperature is at least about 20 ºC.

39. The method according to any one of claims 31 to 38, wherein, The selected temperature is in the range of about 20 ºC to about 100 ºC.

40. The method according to any one of claims 31 to 39, further comprising crushing the tailings, the ore matrix, or both the tailings and the ore matrix into particles of a selected size before contacting the tailings, the ore matrix, or both the tailings and the ore matrix with the extraction composition.

41. The method according to any one of claims 31 to 40, wherein, The extraction composition also includes silicates or other enzymes.

42. The method according to any one of claims 31 to 41, wherein, The extraction solution includes the extraction composition and one or more impurities.

43. The method according to any one of claims 31 to 41, further comprising: Separate the one or more impurities from the extraction solution; and The extracted composition is recovered to produce a recovered extracted composition.

44. The method according to any one of claims 31 to 43, wherein, Separating the gangue and / or impurities from the extraction solution includes using one or more water treatment techniques to extract the gangue and / or impurities from the extraction solution.

45. The method according to claim 44, wherein, The one or more water treatment technologies are selected from the group consisting of: passing the extraction solution through an ion exchange system, using solvent extraction, chromatography, filtration, membrane filtration, osmosis separation, using adsorption and / or absorption materials, using pH control and precipitation, or combinations thereof.

46. ​​A method for selectively removing one or more impurity components from iron ore material, the method comprising: The iron ore material is contacted with an extraction composition comprising one or more organic acids having a selected pH to produce a slurry. The slurry is incubated at a selected temperature of at least about 20 ºC for a selected time to dissolve the one or more impurity components in the extraction composition to form an extraction solution; and The extraction solution containing one or more of the impurity components is separated from the incubated slurry to form a treated iron ore material with improved ore grade and / or enhanced processing capability.

47. The method according to claim 46, wherein, The pH of the extraction composition is in the range of about 0.01 to about 6.

5.

48. The method according to claim 46 or 47, wherein, The one or more organic acids are present in the extraction composition at concentrations ranging from non-zero to 4 M.

49. The method according to any one of claims 46 to 48, wherein, The extraction composition contains a formate at a pH of approximately 3.5 and a concentration of approximately 1 M.

50. The method according to any one of claims 46 to 49, wherein, The extraction composition contains gluconic acid at a concentration of about 250 mM to about 1 M.

51. The method according to any one of claims 46 to 50, wherein, The extraction composition contains oxalic acid at a concentration of about 250 mM to about 1 M.

52. The method according to any one of claims 46 to 51, wherein, The extraction composition comprises about 40% (w / v) citrate, about 40% (w / v) oxalate and about 20% (w / v) gluconate.

53. The method according to any one of claims 46 to 52 further comprises crushing the iron ore material into particles within a selected size range.

54. The method according to any one of claims 46 to 53, further comprising separating the one or more impurity components from the extraction solution.

55. The method according to any one of claims 46 to 54, further comprising using one or more water treatment techniques to extract the one or more impurity components to regenerate the extraction composition, wherein, The one or more water treatment technologies include one or more selected from solvent extraction, chromatography, filtration, membrane filtration, permeation separation, use of adsorption and / or absorption materials, use of pH control and precipitation, or combinations thereof.

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