Leaching aids and methods of using leaching aids

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10745778-B2
Application number	US-201615349532-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 11, 2016
Priority date	Dec 7, 2015
Publication date	Aug 18, 2020
Grant date	Aug 18, 2020

Abstract

Leaching aids, for example, when present in a leaching solution, and methods of using the leaching aids. The leaching aids can include one or a combination of compounds. The method of using the leaching aids can include a process of recovering metal from ore, for example, a process involving heap leaching, solvent extraction and electrowinning.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A leaching solution for an ore, the leaching solution comprising:
a lixiviant; and
a leaching aid comprising one or more compound comprising formula (I):
R(AO) n B) m (AO) n H) p   (I)

wherein each AO group is, independently, an alkyleneoxy group selected from ethyleneoxy (“EO”), 1,2-propyleneoxy (“PO”), 1,2-butyleneoxy, and styryleneoxy;
each n is independently an integer from 0 to 40;
B is H;
R is a group selected from formula (II) to (VIII):
R 1 C(CH 2 O) 3   (II)

wherein R 1 is H, methyl, ethyl, or propyl;
C(CH 2 O) 4   (III);

OC(CH 2 O) 2   (IV);

N(CH 2 CH 2 O)  (V)

(R 2 ) x N(CH 2 CH 2 O) y   (VI)

wherein R 2 is a C 1 -C 4 alkyl, y is 1-3 and x+y=3;
O(CH 2 ) r O  (VII),

wherein r is 2 to 6; and
O(CH(CH 3 )CH 2 )O  (VIII); and

wherein when R is formula (V) or formula (VI) when y is 1, m is 1, and p is 0,
wherein when R is formula (IV), formula (VI) when y is 2, formula (VII) or formula (VIII), m is an integer from 1 to 2, and p is an integer such that the sum of m plus p equals 2,
wherein when R is formula (II) or formula VI when y is 3, m is an integer from 1 to 3, and p is an integer such that the sum of m plus p equals 3, and
wherein when R is formula (III), m is an integer from 1 to 4, and p is an integer such that the sum of m plus p equals 4;

wherein the lixiviant is at a concentration of about 1 g/L to about 50 g/L of the leaching solution, and
wherein the one or more compound is at a concentration of about 1 ppm (by weight) to about 2000 ppm (by weight) of the leaching solution.

2. The solution of claim 1 , wherein the lixiviant comprises sulfuric acid.

3. The solution of claim 1 , wherein the lixiviant is at a concentration of about about 1 g/L to about 25 g/L of the solution.

4. The solution of claim 1 , wherein the one or more compound is at a total concentration of about 5 ppm (by weight) to about 50 ppm (by weight).

5. The solution of claim 1 , wherein the one or more compound is at a total concentration of about 15 ppm (by weight) to about 30 ppm (by weight).

6. The solution of claim 1 , wherein each n is independently 2 to 20.

7. The solution of claim 6 , wherein each n is independently 2 to 10.

8. The solution of claim 1 , further comprising a metal.

9. The solution of claim 8 , wherein the metal is selected from the group consisting of copper, gold, silver, nickel, zinc, molybdenum, vanadium, uranium, and combinations thereof.

10. The solution of claim 1 , wherein the one or more compound comprises the following structure:

11. The solution of claim 10 , wherein the one or more compound is at a total concentration of about 5 ppm (by weight) to about 50 ppm (by weight).

12. The solution of claim 10 , wherein the one or more compound is at a total concentration of about 15 ppm (by weight) to about 30 ppm (by weight).

13. The solution of claim 10 , wherein the one or more compound is at a total concentration of about 25 ppm (by weight).

14. A method of leaching a metal from an ore, the method comprising:
contacting the ore comprising the metal with the solution according to claim 1 .

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein contacting the ore comprises heap leaching or dump leaching.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the metal is selected from the group consisting of copper, gold, silver, nickel, zinc, molybdenum, vanadium, uranium, and combinations thereof.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein the metal comprises copper.

18. The method of claim 14 , wherein the ore is agglomerated.

19. The method of claim 14 , wherein the ore is not agglomerated.

20. A method of recovering a metal from an ore, comprising:
contacting the ore comprising the metal with the solution according to claim 1 to form a pregnant leaching solution; and
recovering the metal from the pregnant leaching solution.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein recovering the metal comprises a solvent extraction process.

22. The method of claim 21 , wherein the compound in the solution is compatible with the solvent extraction process.

23. The method of claim 20 , wherein recovering the metal comprises an electrowinning process.

24. The method of claim 23 , wherein the compound in the solution is compatible with the electrowinning process.

25. The method of claim 20 , wherein the metal is selected from a group consisting of copper, gold, silver, nickel, zinc, molybdenum, vanadium, uranium, and combinations thereof.

26. The method of claim 25 , wherein the metal is copper.

Assignees

• Basf Se

Inventors

• Bender Jack Thomas
• Emmerich Nathan Clark
• Brewer Russell Vincent
• Hight Lauren Michele

Classifications

• Y02P10/20

  Recycling · CPC title

• C22B3/20

  Treatment or purification of solutions, e.g. obtained by leaching (C22B3/18 takes precedence) · CPC title

• C22B3/1641

  with ketones or aldehydes · CPC title

• C22B3/08

  Sulfuric acid {, other sulfurated acids or salts thereof} · CPC title

• C22B11/04

  by wet processes (extraction of metal compounds by leaching in organic solutions C22B3/16; treatment or purification of solutions by liquid-liquid extraction C22B3/26) · CPC title