Activated semiconductor compounds having increased electrochemical reactivity and associated methods thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016201162-A1
Application number	US-201614992783-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 11, 2016
Priority date	Jan 9, 2015
Publication date	Jul 14, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Disclosed are novel compounds which display enhanced reactive properties due, in part, to induced lattice strain. The new compounds demonstrate accelerated leaching of copper under oxidizing conditions. The activated compounds are produced under conditions of time, temperature, Eh, and pH which retard the rate of lattice strain relaxation. Further disclosed are methods of making and using the novel compounds.

First claim

1 . A compound defined by Formula I:
(CuFeS 2 ) n .Cu (6) Fe (x) S (y)   I

wherein:
n is 10 to 200;
x is 1.2 to 1.4;
y is 7.2 to 7.4; and
y—x=6.

2 . A compound according to claim 1 , wherein x is 1.2, and y is 7.2.

3 . A compound according to claim 1 , wherein x is 1.4, and y is 7.4.

4 . A composition comprising the compound defined in claim 1 .

5 . A method of making the compound defined in claim 1 , comprising synthesizing the compound defined in claim 1 .

6 . The method according to claim 5 , wherein the synthesizing is performed using a stirred-media reactor.

7 . The method according to claim 5 , wherein the synthesizing is performed in the presence of copper sulfate.

8 . The method according to claim 5 , wherein the synthesizing is performed at a pH between about 1.0 and about 6.0.

9 . The method according to claim 5 , wherein the synthesizing is performed at a temperature between about 60° C. and about 100° C.

10 . The method according to claim 5 , wherein the synthesizing is performed at a redox potential between about 200 mV vs. SHE and about 600 mV vs. SHE.

11 . The method according to claim 5 , wherein the synthesizing is performed for a time between about 1 minute and about 60 minutes.

12 . A method of recovering copper comprising the step of oxidatively leaching the compound defined in claim 1 , in the presence of an acidic ferric sulfate lixivant.

13 . The method of recovering copper according to claim 12 , wherein the step of oxidatively leaching is performed under mechano-chemical reaction conditions.

14 . The method of recovering copper according to claim 12 , wherein the step of oxidatively leaching is performed using a stirred-media reactor.

Assignees

• Smidth As F L

Inventors

• Chaiko David J
• Rocks Sara Sally

Classifications

• C22B3/22

  by physical processes, e.g. by filtration, by magnetic means {, or by thermal decomposition} (treatment or purification of solutions by liquid-liquid extraction C22B3/26) · CPC title

• C22B3/08

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

• H01B1/02

  mainly consisting of metals or alloys · CPC title

• C22B15/0071 Primary

  containing sulfur · CPC title

• Y02P10/20

  Recycling · CPC title