Low-Temperature Sintering of Rough Copper Concentrate for Desiliconization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hydrometallurgical methods for desiliconization of rough concentrates require high temperatures and fail to efficiently extract valuable components like copper, silver, and rhenium, often resulting in low desiliconization degrees and incomplete recovery of non-ferrous metals.
Innovation Solution
A hydrometallurgical method involving sintering with sodium hydroxide at 300-320°C, followed by two-step leaching with aqueous and sulfuric acid, using additives like sodium nitrite and halite, to oxidize sulfides and selectively recover silica, copper, and silver, with lower energy consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If high temperature sintering (700-850°C) is used for desiliconization, then the degree of desiliconization is improved (88-94%), but energy consumption and operational costs increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the temperature parameter from conventional high temperature (700-850°C) to low temperature (300-320°C) sintering, combined with specific reagent additions (sodium nitrite, halite) to achieve effective desiliconization and metal extraction at reduced energy consumption while maintaining high degree of desiliconization
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses a composite chemical system combining sodium hydroxide, sodium nitrite, and halite as sintering reagents, creating a synergistic effect that enables low-temperature processing with high efficiency in desiliconization and metal recovery
2Productivity
If conventional single-step leaching is used, then the process is simple, but comprehensive extraction of valuable components (copper, silver, rhenium) is not achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The invention divides the leaching process into two distinct stages: first aqueous leaching to extract silica and rhenium, then sulfuric acid leaching with halite to extract copper and silver. This segmentation allows each stage to be optimized for specific metal recovery, achieving comprehensive extraction of all valuable components
Solution Approach 2:
The invention performs preliminary oxidation of sulfides during the sintering stage using sodium nitrite and halite, which prepares the material for subsequent leaching by converting sulfides to oxides. This preliminary action facilitates more efficient metal extraction in the leaching stages
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Achieves high desiliconization efficiency and comprehensive extraction of valuable components like silica, copper, and silver, reducing operational costs and energy consumption while maintaining effective metal recovery.
Implementation Method 1
the rough concentrate is sintered with sodium hydroxide at a temperature of 300 to 320° C.
Implementation Method 2
a first pulp is obtained by subjecting the solid sintering residue to aqueous leaching
Implementation Method 3
the first cake is subjected to sulfuric acid leaching with an addition of halite
Implementation Method 4
using additives like sodium nitrite and halite, to oxidize sulfides
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to hydrometallurgical technology, in particular, to methods for extracting metals from waste copper tailings and concentrates. The objective of the invention is to increase the degree of desiliconization of concentrates while simultaneously lowering the heat treatment temperature and comprehensive extraction of valuable components. The achieved technical result of the proposed invention is the sequence of technological operations, the sintering condition with sodium hydroxide and the sequence of extraction of silica, rhenium, copper and silver from solution. The technical result is achieved by desiliconization at normal pressure in an air atmosphere by sintering with the most active reagent-sodium hydroxide and further selective extraction of silica and rhenium during aqueous leaching, copper and silver during sulfuric acid leaching with the extraction of copper from the solution by extraction, and silver by sorption.