University of British Columbia

Jetti Resources, LLC

Motorola Corporation

David Dixon

Zihe Ren

Edouard Asselin

Ahmad Ghahreman

Oscar Olvera Olmedo

Nelson Mora Huertas

Berny Rivera-Vasquez

Nelson Mora-Huertas

Farzan Mamaghani

Karl Anthony Reardon

Ghazaleh T Nazari

Alain F Tshilombo

Ahmad Ghahremaninezhad

This application pertains to methods of recovering metals from metal sulfides that involve contacting the metal sulfide with an acidic sulfate solution containing ferric sulfate and a reagent that has a thiocarbonyl functional group, wherein the concentration of reagent in the acidic sulfate solution is sufficient to increase the rate of metal extraction relative to an acidic sulfate solution that does not contain the reagent, to produce a pregnant solution containing the metal ions.

Process for leaching metal sulfides with reagents having thiocarbonyl functional groups

The present disclosure relates to the use of a wetting agent such as a non-ionic wetting agent and a reagent comprising a thiocarbonyl functional group, for example, in a method/process or use for extracting a base metal such as copper from a material comprising the base metal. Such methods/processes can comprise contacting the material under acidic conditions with the wetting agent and the reagent comprising the thiocarbonyl functional group; and optionally recovering the base metal.

Extracting base metals using a wetting agent and a thiocarbonyl functional group reagent

The present disclosure relates to the use of carbonaceous matter and a reagent comprising a thiocarbonyl functional group, for example, in a method for extracting a base metal such as copper from a material comprising the base metal. Such methods can comprise contacting the material under acidic conditions with the carbonaceous matter and the reagent comprising the thiocarbonyl functional group; and optionally recovering the base metal.

Extraction of base metals using carbonaceous matter and a thiocarbonyl functional group reagent

This application pertains to methods of recovering metals from metal sulfides that involve contacting the metal sulfide with an acidic sulfate solution containing ferric sulfate and a reagent that has a thiocarbonyl functional group, wherein the concentration of reagent in the acidic sulfate solution is sufficient to increase the rate of metal ion extraction relative to an acidic sulfate solution that does not contain the reagent, to produce a pregnant solution containing the metal ions.

A method of recovering copper from a copper sulfide concentrate comprising a copper arsenic sulfosalt or a copper antimony sulfosalt, using carbon as a catalyst. The concentrate and carbon are added to an acidic sulfate leach solution. The copper is leached from the concentrate, in the presence of an oxygen-containing gas. The operating potential is maintained above a selected level. The carbon copper sulfide ratio of the carbon being added to the copper sulfide present in the concentrate being added is at least 1:20. The carbon may be maintained above a selected concentration in the leach solution. The leached copper is recovered from the solution by conventional methods.

Leaching process for copper concentrates with a carbon catalyst

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Delta, Canada

David Dixon