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Stig-Erik Hultholm

Bror G Nyman

Launo L Lilja

Juhani Lyyra

Raimo Kuusisto

Valto J Makitalo

Eero Ekman

Pertti Pekkala

Petri Taipale

Sigmund P Fugleberg

Jussi K Rastas

Olli Hyvärinen

Timo Saarenpaa

Timo Saarenp{umlaut Over (aa)}

Frans H Tuovinen

Matti E Honkaniemi

Helge J Krogerus

Erkki Paatero

Mikko Ruonala

Seppo O Heimala

Jussi Vaarno

Seppo Heimala

Mika Haapalainen

Raimo J Leimala

Risto J Honkala

Esa Lindell

Jari Tiihonen

Leif Rosenback

Timo Saarenp&auml;&auml;

Mikko Juusela

Terry Holohan

Jarmo Sivonen

Juhani Salmi

Teemu Ritasalo

Asko Parviainen

The invention relates to a mixing device and method by means of which two solutions that are insoluble or poorly soluble in each other are mixed together into a dispersion. The device consists of at least three helical bars rotating upwards around a shaft and supported on it, so that the support structures between the shaft and the helical rods are set essentially in a horizontal position. The device and method are particularly suitable for mixing solvent extraction solutions used in the hydrometallurgical recovery of metals to form a dispersion.

Device and method for dispersing two solutions in each other in solvent extraction

The invention relates to a method whereby copper is recovered from a copper sulphide ore containing pyrite. According to the method the ore is ground and leached into a solution containing sulfuric acid in atmospheric conditions by means of trivalent copper. As the copper sulphide leaches out, the trivalent iron is reduced to divalent and is oxidized back to trivalent by means of oxygen during leaching. Leaching is carried out in a closed reactor, where the undissolved gas rising from the solution in the supper section of the reactor is circulated back into the suspension of solution, solids and gas. leaching is performed in the presence of both divalent and trivalent iron and preferably with the dissolved copper acting as a catalyst to promote leaching. The conditions are adjusted to be such that the pyrite of the ore essentially does not dissolve.

Method for recovering copper from a copper sulphide ore

A method for the selective recovery of uranium from a sulphate-based acidic aqueous solution of uranium containing iron and other metals by means of solvent extraction, in which the extractant used in the organic extraction solution is bis(2-ethylhexyl) phosphate and a liquid branched trialkyl phosphine oxide is the modifying agent. It is typical of the method that the uranium concentration in the feed solution is less than 50 mg/l and a reducing agent is introduced into the aqueous and/or extraction solution to prevent the permanent oxidation of iron to trivalent. In the method the majority of the extraction solution is circulated in a circuit consisting of the extraction stage and the storage tank and only a small part of the uranium-loaded extraction solution is routed to scrubbing and stripping.

Extraction process

The invention relates to a method for reversing the dispersion formed in the mixing section of liquid-liquid extraction and kept condensed in the separation section and the separated solutions form the rear end of the separation section to flow back towards the feed end of the separation section. The invention also refers to the extraction equipment for implementing the reversed flow.

Method and equipment for liquid-liquid extraction

The present invention relates to a method for the treatment of copper-bearing materials, such as copper concentrates, so that the impurities and gangue minerals in the materials, such as silicates, are in effect removed completely.

Method for the treatment of copper-bearing materials

The invention relates to a method, by means of which the valuable metals contained in a sulphidic, multicomponent concentrate are recovered using hydrometallurgical treatment. One constituent of the concentrate is copper sulphide, which is leached using an alkali chloride-copper (II) chloride solution. The sulphides of other valuable metals, such as zinc, nickel, cobalt and lead are leached before copper leaching and each is recovered as a separate product before copper recovery.

Method for the hydrometallurgical treatment of sulfide concentrate containing several valuable metals

The invention relates to a method for the recovery of metals, in particular copper, from a copper-bearing raw material, whereby the material is leached into a chloride-containing solution. The leaching of the raw material is performed oxidatively and at a sufficiently high redox potential that the copper in the copper chloride solution from leaching is mainly divalent. The chloride solution obtained, which contains copper and potentially other valuable metals, is fed to liquid-liquid extraction. In the extraction the copper is first transferred to the organic phase with extraction and then to a sulphate solution in stripping, which is fed to copper electrowinning.

Method for the recovery of metals using chloride leaching and extraction

The invention relates to a method for the controlled separation of a dispersion of two liquids formed in the mixing stage of liquid-liquid extraction into their own phases in the separation section of the extraction. In particular the method and equipment relate to the extraction process used in the recovery of metals. In accordance with the method the dispersion band remaining between the separated phases is dammed up using at least one revert member for said purpose located in the separation section. The equipment according to the invention comprises at least one revert member, which is in turn made up of at least two separate parts.

Method and equipment to control separation of a dispersion liquid-liquid extraction

The invention relates to a method for guiding a dispersion of two liquids formed in the mixing stage of liquid-liquid extraction along the longitudinal axis of the separation section in the feed end of an extraction separation section. In particular the method and equipment relate to the extraction process used in the recovery of metals. In accordance with the method the dispersion to be fed into the separation section is guided so that it spreads evenly over the cross-section of the separation section using a directional member placed so as to obtain a vertical flow. The equipment in accordance with the invention consists of a directional member, which is in turn made up of at least two separate parts.

Method and equipment for guiding dispersion in liquid-liquid extraction

The invention relates to a method for the stabilization of the production capacity of an extraction plant extracting metals in a process, where the metal content of the feed solution varies. For the stabilization of capacity, the extraction cells and their piping are constructed and situated in such a way, that the extraction stages can be connected in different combinations, either in parallel or in a series. The method is especially suitable for the copper extraction process.

The invention relates to a method for controlling and compressing a dispersion formed in the mixing stage of liquid-liquid extraction. The compression of the dispersion is achieved by reducing the cross-section of the separation section in the direction of flow and by equipping the separation section with a dispersion-damming member. The equipment according to the invention thus comprises a settler, which is essentially trapezoid in shape so that its cross-section is wider at the feed end of the settler and gets smaller towards the rear end of the settler, from whence the separated solutions are discharged from the settler, and the settler is equipped with at least one device to dam up the dispersion. In particular the method and equipment relate to the extraction process used in the recovery of metals.

Method and equipment for compressing a dispersion in liquid-liquid extraction

The invention relates to a method for the removal of metals from their aqueous solution with lime precipitation, in conditions where a precipitate of metal hydroxide and gypsum is formed, which settles well and is easy to filter. The metals are precipitated from their aqueous solutions at a high pH value and the slurry is recirculated several times in the precipitation space, whereby the gypsum is precipitated as separate crystals instead of a solid layer. The method is particularly suitable for neutralization of the aqueous solution from the pickling of refined steel. Using this method enables the removal of metals and fluoride from the water in question.

Method for the removal of metals from an aqueous solution using lime precipitation

The invention relates to a mixing apparatus and a method for mixing gas in a closed mixing reactor, which uses gas as a process chemical with a high efficiency and where the content of pulverous solids in the solution is great. The aim is to obtain a flow in the reactor which sucks gas from above the surface of the liquid using rotating mixing devices in the centre of the reactor, and to mix said gas throughout the reactor capacity. The mixing apparatus of the invention comprises at least two mixers located at different heights, and on the same shaft. The upper mixer is equipped with a central plate attached to the shaft, with essentially vertical inner blades rising upwards and downwards and outer vanes directed outwards from the central plate, which are inclined from the horizontal. The lower mixer is equipped with a central plate attached to the shaft with vertical blades located on the outer edge.

Mixing apparatus for mixing gas in a closed reactor

The invention relates to a method for extracting copper in liquid-liquid solvent extraction from aqueous solutions with a high sulphate content, by raising the viscosity of the extraction solution and by dispersing the aqueous solution into drops, achieving a dense drop aggregation. The viscosity of the extraction solution may be raised either by increasing the content of the actual extractant, the extraction reagent, in the extraction solution or by using a diluting agent with a higher viscosity than that of the diluting agent normally used. By raising the viscosity of the extraction solution the mixing durability of the extraction dispersion can be increased and resulting of that the amount of residual drops is decreased. Other advantages are that the extraction solution flow of the extraction process decreases in relation to the flow of the aqueous solution acting as the copper source and that the size of the extraction equipment needed is reduced.

Method for extracting copper from an aqueous solution

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Pori, Finland

Stig-Erik Hultholm