Sorption Leaching Process for Metal Extraction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Hydrometallurgical processes face challenges in selective metal extraction due to high consumption of leaching agents, which increases costs and leads to environmental issues, especially with low-grade ores and impurities affecting the quality of final metal products.
Innovation Solution
A hydrometallurgical process that combines simultaneous leaching with sorption in the state of wet solids using sorbents like ion exchange resins, activated carbon, and zeolites, allowing for the simultaneous dissolution and sorption of target metals, reducing leaching agent consumption and improving metal recovery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If traditional leaching processes are used to extract metals from low-grade ores, then metal extraction is achieved, but leaching agent consumption increases and environmental issues arise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines leaching and sorption operations into a single integrated process where sorbent material is added directly to the leach slurry. This merging allows simultaneous metal dissolution and sorption, eliminating the need for separate concentration steps and reducing leaching agent consumption while maintaining effective metal extraction from low-grade ores.
Solution Approach 2:
The sorbent material acts as an intermediary substance that facilitates metal transfer from the solid ore to the aqueous phase and then concentrates it. The sorbent mediates the interaction between leaching agents and metal targets, enabling selective extraction with reduced chemical consumption and improved environmental performance.
2Quantity of substance
If multiple process stages are used for metal extraction and concentration, then metal recovery efficiency is improved, but capital and operational costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges leaching and concentration operations into a single integrated process stage. By adding sorbent material to the leach slurry, the system performs both metal dissolution and simultaneous concentration, eliminating the need for separate thickening, filtration, and concentration steps, thereby reducing capital and operational costs while maintaining high metal recovery efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The sorbent material performs multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as a leaching agent carrier, a metal sorption medium, and a concentration mechanism. This multi-functionality allows a single process stage to achieve what traditionally required multiple sequential operations, reducing overall process complexity and cost.
3Reliability
If leaching and sorption are performed in separate stages, then each process can be optimized, but process time and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines leaching and sorption into a single simultaneous operation where sorbent material is introduced to the leach slurry. This allows metal dissolution and sorption to occur concurrently, reducing total process time while maintaining the optimization benefits of both processes through controlled sorbent addition and selection.
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
This process reduces the number of process stages, increases leaching agent concentration, enhances sorption and leaching kinetics, and recycles leaching agents, resulting in lower capital and operational costs and improved metal recovery efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
The process combines simultaneously leaching with sorption in the state of wet solids, wherein leaching agents are blended with one or more sorbents, such as ion exchange resins, activated carbon, zeolites, among others
Implementation Method 2
Leaching involves the dissolution of desired metal components into an aqueous phase, by contacting an aqueous solution that contains leaching agents, called leach solution or lixiviant, with the metal bearing material
Data Source
AI summary
A hydrometallurgical process is provided for the selective extraction of one or more target metals from ore, concentrates, tailings, slags or other metal bearing solids, by combining simultaneously leaching with sorption in the state of wet solids. The sorption and leaching are performed simultaneously, which reduces the required number of process stages in comparison to conventional technologies. Performing the sorption leaching in wet solids enables a significant increase in the concentration of leaching agents in relation to target metal(s) content in solids, at the same addition rate of said leaching agents, improving thermodynamic conditions and leaching kinetics for dissolving target metal(s). The invention has the main advantage of improving metal recoveries at a reduced consumption rate of leaching agents.