Cyprus Metallurgical Processes Corporation

Pentanyl Technologies, Inc.

Hazen Research, Inc.

Cyprus Metallurigical Processes Corporation

Duane N Goens

James E Reynolds

Paul R Kruesi

Humayon Z Zafar

David E Hyatt

Charlie W Kenney

Wayne C Hazen

James L Lake

Richard P Ruskan

Richard P Ruskin

A method and apparatus for enriching the iron carbonyl content of a recycle gas stream produced in an iron carbonyl decomposition or reaction process to enable reuse of the recycle gas stream in the iron carbonyl decomposition or reaction process by cooling the recycle gas stream, adding carbon monoxide to the recycle gas stream, compressing the recycle gas stream to a pressure of about 20 to about 38 atmospheres under conditions suitable to prevent substantial decomposition of residual iron carbonyl, and contacting the compressed gas stream at a temperature of about 65.degree. to about 160.degree. C. with a reduced iron containing material in the presence of hydrogen sulfide under conditions suitable to produce substantially condensed iron carbonyl. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the recycle gas stream is initially split into first and second portions, the first portion of the recycle gas stream is cooled, enriched with carbon monoxide, compressed and contacted with the reduced iron containing material to produce substantially condensed iron carbonyl, and at least a portion of the condensed iron carbonyl is vaporized and then combined with the second portion of the recycle gas stream to produce an iron carbonyl enriched gas stream. The iron carbonyl enriched gas stream may then be reintroduced into the iron carbonyl decomposition or reaction process.

Apparatus for enriching the iron carbonyl content of a recycle gas stream

A method and apparatus for enriching the iron carbonyl content of a recycle gas stream produced in an iron carbonyl decomposition or reaction process to enable reuse of the recycle gas stream in the iron carbonyl decomposition or reaction process by cooling the recycle gas stream, adding carbon monoxide to the recycle gas stream, compressing the recycle gas stream to a pressure of about 20 to about 38 atmospheres under conditions suitable to prevent substantial decomposition of residual iron carbonyl, and contacting the compressed gas stream at a temperature of about 65 to about 160.degree. C. with a reduced iron containing material in the presence of hydrogen sulfide under conditions suitable to produce substantially condensed iron carbonyl. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the recycle gas stream is initially split into first and second portions, the first portion of the recycle gas stream is cooled, enriched with carbon monoxide, compressed and contacted with the reduced iron containing material to produce substantially condensed iron carbonyl, and at least a portion of the condensed iron carbonyl is vaporized and then combined with the second portion of the recycle gas stream to produce an iron carbonyl enriched gas stream. The iron carbonyl enriched gas stream may then be reintroduced into the iron carbonyl decomposition or reaction process.

Method and apparatus for enriching the iron carbonyl content of a

Copper is recovered from copper salts selected from the group consisting of copper chlorides, copper oxides and copper oxychlorides by reducing the finely divided solid copper salts with hydrogen under turbulent conditions at a temperature greater than the melting point of elemental copper.

High temperature reduction of copper salts

A process is disclosed for separating cuprous chloride from a solution comprising cuprous chloride and one or more of a number of metal impurities, the process comprising crystallizing the cuprous chloride from the solution in the presence of copper as cupric chloride in a concentration of at least about 20 grams per liter. In one embodiment, the process is employed for recovering substantially pure copper from copper sulfide concentrates containing one or more metal impurities, the basic process comprising leaching the copper sulfide concentrates with ferric chloride to produce a leach solution comprising cuprous chloride, cupric chloride, ferrous chloride and the metal impurities, crystallizing a substantial portion of the cuprous chloride from the leach solution in the presence of cupric ion in a concentration of at least about 20 grams per liter in order to produce substantially pure cuprous chloride and a mother liquor, separating the crystallized cuprous chloride from the mother liquor, reducing the crystallized cuprous chloride to substantially pure elemental copper, treating a substantial portion of the mother liquor with oxygen and hydrochloric acid to produce iron oxide, cupric chloride and ferric chloride, and treating the remainder of the mother liquor in order to remove the impurities.

Process for the recovery of cuprous chloride in the presence of metal

A pollution-free process for the recovery of high purity zinc from zinc containing material including sulfide ores which provides for maximum conservation and re-use of reagents, the process consisting of chlorinating the materials either with ferric chloride or chlorine gas followed by selective removal of metals other than zinc by standard procedures, such as, lead chloride crystallization, cementation, etc. to produce a solution containing essentially only zinc chloride and ferrous chloride. To enhance the purity of the zinc end product zinc chloride is separated from the ferrous chloride solution with a zinc selective extraction agent from which the zinc chloride is stripped with sodium chloride solution in a sodium chloride stripping circuit followed by precipitation of zinc as the carbonate. The sodium chloride formed in precipitating zinc carbonate with sodium carbonate goes to an electrolytic cell to produce chlorine and sodium hydroxide by electrolysis which latter is carbonated to sodium carbonate for circulation to the zinc carbonate precipitation. The sodium chloride stripping circuit includes the electrolytic cell where excess chlorine is removed from the stripping solution. The ferrous chloride raffinate from the zinc chloride extraction step is sent to a chlorination and hydrolysis step where ferric chloride leaching agent is regenerated and iron removed. Chloride from the electrolysis step is used for the chlorination step. The process results in very little loss of reagents from the system.

Zinc recovery by chlorination leach

There is provided a membrane-free axial flow electrolytic cell in which the anodes and cathodes are perforated and lie transversely of a conduit through which an ion containing and conducting medium is pumped. This device is especially useful in the electrolytic recovery of metal values from acid leach solutions from low grade ores, e.g., copper, and for the carrying out of electrochemical reactions such as the production of sodium hypochlorite or sodium chlorate from NaCl.

Axial flow electrolytic cell

A process is disclosed for separating cuprous chloride from a solution comprising cuprous chloride and at least one metal chloride compatible with the solubility of cuprous chloride, the process comprising crystallizing the cuprous chloride from the solution in the presence of cupric chloride in an amount such that the cupric chloride to compatible metal chloride mole ratio is at least about 0.1. In one embodiment, the process is employed for recovering substantially pure copper from copper sulfide concentrates, generally containing one or more metal impurities, the basic process comprising, leaching the copper sulfide concentrates with ferric chloride to produce a leach solution comprising cuprous chloride, cupric chloride, ferrous chloride and the metal impurities, crystallizing a substantial portion of the cuprous chloride from the leach solution in order to produce cuprous chloride crystals and a mother liquor, separating the crystallized cuprous chloride from the mother liquor, reducing the crystallized cuprous chloride to substantially pure elemental copper, treating a substantial portion of the mother liquor with oxygen and hydrochloric acid to produce iron oxide, cupric chloride and ferric chloride, and treating the remainder of the mother liquor in order to remove the impurities.

Growing community of inventors

Golden, CO, United States of America

Duane N Goens