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:
Jan. 18, 2011
Filed:
May. 08, 2007
Houyuan Liu, Shortland, AU;
Alexey Duarte, Perth Western, AU;
Wolf Meihack, Brisbane, AU;
BHP Billiton SSM Technology Pty. Ltd., Perth, AU;
Abstract
A process for the recovery of nickel and cobalt from nickel and cobalt containing ores, including the steps of first leaching a laterite ore and/or a partially oxidized sulfide ore with an acid solution to produce a pregnant leach solution containing at least dissolved nickel, cobalt and ferric ions, and subsequently leaching a sulfide ore or concentrate with the pregnant leach solution to produce a product liquor. Alternatively, the laterite ore and/or partially oxidized sulfide ore can be leached in a combined leach with the sulfide ore or concentrate. The ferric ion content in the pregnant leach solution or in the combined leach is sufficient to maintain the oxidation and reduction potential in the sulfide leach high enough to assist in leaching nickel from the sulfide ore or concentrate.