The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 20, 1985
Filed:
Jul. 07, 1983
Leonard R Ochs, Tucson, AZ (US);
Archibald W Fletcher, Tucson, AZ (US);
Harald Weber, Isernhagen, DE;
David Naden, Stockton-on-Tees, GB;
Duval Corporation, Tucson, AZ (US);
Abstract
A process is described for recovering metal values from a zinc-containing complex sulphide material comprising leaching the material in a first leaching stage under non-oxidative conditions with a controlled amount of an aqueous chloride lixiviant solution containing cupric chloride in an amount which is selected so as to solubilize at least a part of the zinc in the material and to precipitate a quantity of cupric sulphide substantially equivalent on a molar basis to the zinc leached from the material, the lixiviant solution further containing sufficient of a source of chloride ions other than cupric chloride to ensure solubilization of metal chlorides present, recovering from the first leaching stage a zinc chloride-containing leach liquor, recovering metal values from said leach liquor in a metal recovery section, treating solids from the first leaching stage under oxidizing conditions in a second leaching stage with a liquor containing hydrochloric acid and metal chlorides thereby to solubilize further metal values from the solids, to precipitate iron values and to regenerate cupric chloride-containing lixiviant solution for use in the first leaching stage, and recovering from the second leaching stage (a) a solids residue consisting essentially of (i) iron values in the form of ferric hydroxide and jarosite and (ii) sulphur and that is substantially free from non-ferrous metal values and (b) a cupric chloride-containing lixiviant solution for recycle to the first leaching stage.