MySx/ZSH mixture as sulfidizing agent

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12364990-B2
Application number	US-202117643477-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 9, 2021
Priority date	Dec 10, 2020
Publication date	Jul 22, 2025
Grant date	Jul 22, 2025

Abstract

The disclosure is directed to a sulfidizing agent obtainable by mixing M y S x and ZSH in a weight ratio of from about 90:10 to about 10:90, wherein M is chosen from Li + , Na + , K + , Rb + , Cs + , NH 4 + , Mg 2+ and Ca 2+ , y is about 1 or about 2, x is from about 1.1 to about 5, and Z is independently chosen from Li + , Na + , K + , Rb + , Cs + and NH 4 + , and a process for using the sulfidizing agent in the recovery of one or more metal ores and/or polymetallic minerals from gangue.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A process for recovering one or more metal ores and/or polymetallic minerals from gangue, said process comprising:
(i) treating the one or more metal ores and/or polymetallic minerals with a sulfidizing agent; and
(ii) separating the treated metal ores and/or polymetallic minerals using a sulfide floatation process;
wherein the sulfidizing agent is obtained by mixing M y S x and ZSH in a weight ratio of from about 90:10 to about 10:90, wherein M is chosen from Li + , Na + , K + , Rb + , Cs + , NH 4 + , Mg 2+ and Ca 2+ , y is about 1 or about 2, x is from about 2.1 to about 5, and Z is independently chosen from Li + , Na + , K + , Rb + , Cs + and NH 4 + ;
wherein the treatment in (i) is performed by adding a first portion of sulfidizing agent to the one or more metal ores and/or polymetallic minerals in a rougher floatation stage of the sulfide floatation process and adding a further portion of sulfidizing agent to the one of metal ores and/or polymetallic minerals in at least one cleaning stage of the sulfide floatation process; and
wherein the sulfidizing agent is added to the rougher floatation stage in an amount of from about 10 to about 70 g/ton and to the at least one cleaning stage in an amount of from about 3 to about 15 g/ton, based on a dose of grams of agent per ton of dry ore/dry mineral.

2. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein x is from about 2.1 to about 4.5.

3. The process as claimed in claim 2 , wherein M and/or Z is chosen from Li + , Na + , K + , Rb + and Cs + .

4. The process as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the weight ratio M y S x to ZSH is from about 90:10 to about 30:70.

5. The process as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the sulfidizing agent comprises a dithiophosphate or a monothiophosphate-based collector and/or a polyglycol-based foaming agent.

6. The process as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the one or more metal ores is chosen from ores of copper (Cu), molybdenum (Mo), gold (Au), silver (Ag), lead (Pb), Nickel (Ni) and Cobalt (Co) and/or the one or more polymetallic minerals is chosen from Cu—Mo, Cu—Au, Pb—Zn—Cu, Ag—Cu, Zn—Pb—Ag, Cu—Zn—Pb—Ag, Sn—Cu and Zn—Pb minerals.

7. The process as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the sulfidizing agent is added to the rougher floatation stage after a delay of at least about 3 minutes after the flotation process begins.

8. The process as claimed in claim 2 , wherein M and/or Z is Na + .

9. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein M and/or Z is chosen from Li + , Na + , K + , Rb + and Cs + .

10. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the weight ratio M y S x to ZSH is from about 90:10 to about 30:70.

11. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the sulfidizing agent comprises a dithiophosphate or a monothiophosphate-based collector and/or a polyglycol-based foaming agent.

12. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the one or more metal ores is chosen from ores of copper (Cu), molybdenum (Mo), gold (Au), silver (Ag), lead (Pb), Nickel (Ni) and Cobalt (Co) and/or the one or more polymetallic minerals is chosen from Cu—Mo, Cu—Au, Pb—Zn—Cu, Ag—Cu, Zn—Pb—Ag, Cu—Zn—Pb—Ag, Sn—Cu and Zn—Pb minerals.

13. TheA process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the sulfidizing agent is added to the rougher floatation stage after a delay of at least about 3 minutes after the flotation process begins.

14. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein M and/or Z is Na + .

15. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the weight ratio M y S x to ZSH is from about 90:10 to about 50:50.

16. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the weight ratio M y S x to ZSH is from about 70:30 to about 50:50.

17. The process as claimed in claim 6 wherein the sulfidizing agent is for recovering copper, gold, silver, and/or molybdenum, and/or combinations thereof, from gangue, wherein the sulfidizing agent is obtained by mixing M y S x and ZSH in a weight ratio of about 50:50, wherein M is Na + , y is about 2, x is from about 1.2 to about 2.2, and Z is Na + .

18. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein:
x is from about 2.1 to about 4.5;
M and/or Z is chosen from Li + , Na + , K + , Rb + and Cs + so long as at least one of M or Z is Na + ;
the weight ratio M y S x to ZSH is from about 90:10 to about 30:70;
the sulfidizing agent comprises a dithiophosphate or a monothiophosphate-based collector and/or a polyglycol-based foaming agent;
the one or more metal ores is chosen from ores of copper (Cu), molybdenum (Mo), gold (Au), silver (Ag), lead (Pb), Nickel (Ni) and Cobalt (Co) and/or the one or more polymetallic minerals is chosen from Cu—Mo, Cu—Au, Pb—Zn—Cu, Ag—Cu, Zn—Pb—Ag, Cu—Zn—Pb—Ag, Sn—Cu and Zn—Pb minerals; and
the sulfidizing agent is added to the rougher floatation stage after a delay of at least about 3 minutes after the flotation process begins.

Assignees

• Nouryon Chemicals Int Bv

Inventors

• Folchnandt Matthias
• Klobes Olaf
• Picardi Ulises
• Giménez Rodrigo M
• Prats Leandro

Classifications

• C02F1/24

  by flotation (C02F1/465 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B03D1/012

  containing sulfur · CPC title

• B03D1/008

  containing oxygen · CPC title

• B03D1/018

  Mixtures of inorganic and organic compounds · CPC title

• C01B17/22

  Alkali metal sulfides or polysulfides · CPC title