Method for recovering copper, molybdenum, and precious metals from silicate-containing ore

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022119917-A1
Application number	US-202117496311-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 7, 2021
Priority date	Oct 16, 2020
Publication date	Apr 21, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a method of recovering copper, molybdenum, and a precious metal value from a metal-bearing material, the method comprising bulk flotation of the metal-bearing material to form a flotation product, wherein the metal-bearing material comprises a copper compound, a molybdenum compound, at least one precious metal value, and a silicate, pressure oxidizing the flotation product to form a pressure oxidized discharge, separating the pressure oxidized discharge to form a separated liquid and separated solid, extracting molybdenum, via a molybdenum solution extraction, from the separated liquid to form a molybdenum-containing stream and a copper-containing stream, extracting copper, via a copper solution extraction, from the copper-containing stream, and extracting the precious metal value, via a cyanide leaching process, from the separated solid.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of recovering copper, molybdenum, and a precious metal value from a metal-bearing material, the method comprising:
bulk flotation of the metal-bearing material to form a flotation product, wherein the metal-bearing material comprises a copper compound, a molybdenum compound, at least one precious metal value, and a silicate; pressure oxidizing the flotation product to form a pressure oxidized discharge; separating the pressure oxidized discharge to form a separated liquid and separated solid; extracting molybdenum, via a molybdenum solution extraction, from the separated liquid to form a molybdenum-containing stream and a copper-containing stream; extracting copper, via a copper solution extraction, from the copper-containing stream; and extracting the precious metal value, via a cyanide leaching process, from the separated solid.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising conducting an organic washing process on the molybdenum-containing stream and conducting an organic stripping process on the molybdenum-containing stream.

3 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising conducting a crystallization process on the molybdenum containing stream.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein extracting the precious metal value from the separated solid further comprises a hot lime boil.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein extracting copper from the copper-containing stream further comprises electrowinning the copper-containing stream.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising cooling the pressure oxidized discharge via flash letdown process.

7 . A method of recovering copper, molybdenum, and a precious metal value from a metal-bearing material, the method comprising:
bulk flotation of the metal-bearing material to form a flotation product, wherein the metal-bearing material comprises a copper compound, a molybdenum compound, at least one precious metal value, and a silicate; pressure oxidizing the flotation product to form a pressure oxidized discharge; separating the pressure oxidized discharge to form a separated liquid and separated solid; extracting molybdenum, via a molybdenum solution extraction, from the separated liquid to form a molybdenum-containing stream and a copper-containing stream; extracting copper, via a copper solution extraction, from the copper-containing stream; and extracting the precious metal value, via a thiosulfate leaching process, from the separated solid.

8 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising conducting an organic washing process on the molybdenum-containing stream and conducting an organic stripping process on the molybdenum-containing stream.

9 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising conducting a crystallization process on the molybdenum containing stream.

10 . The method of claim 7 , wherein extracting the precious metal value from the separated solid further comprises a hot lime boil.

11 . The method of claim 7 , wherein extracting copper from the copper-containing stream further comprises electrowinning the copper-containing stream.

12 . A method of recovering copper, molybdenum, and a precious metal value from a metal-bearing material, the method comprising:
bulk flotation of the metal-bearing material to form a flotation product, wherein the metal-bearing material comprises a copper compound, a molybdenum compound, at least one precious metal value, and a silicate; pressure oxidizing the flotation product to form a pressure oxidized discharge; hot curing the pressure oxidized discharge to form a product stream; separating the pressure oxidized discharge to form a separated liquid and separated solid; extracting molybdenum, via a molybdenum solution extraction, from the separated liquid to form a molybdenum-containing stream and a copper-containing stream; extracting copper, via a copper solution extraction, from the copper-containing stream; and extracting the precious metal value from the separated solid.

13 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising conducting an organic washing process on the molybdenum-containing stream and conducting an organic stripping process on the molybdenum-containing stream.

14 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising conducting a crystallization process on the molybdenum containing stream.

15 . The method of claim 12 , wherein extracting the precious metal value from the separated solid further comprises a cyanide leaching process.

16 . The method of claim 12 , wherein extracting the precious metal value from the separated solid further comprises a thiosulfate leaching process.

17 . The method of claim 12 , wherein extracting the precious metal value from the separated solid further comprises a hot lime boil and a cyanide leaching process.

18 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising cooling the pressure oxidized discharge via flash letdown process.

19 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the lime boil utilizes a temperature of between approximately 0° C. and approximately 180° C. for a duration of between approximately 0 to 6 hours.

20 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the hot curing comprises holding the pressure oxidized discharge at a temperature of between approximately 0 and 180° C. for a duration of between approximately 4 to 12 hours.

Assignees

• Freeport Minerals Corp

Inventors

• Mota Brenda Lizzet
• Bolles Thomas R
• Green Christine Rae
• Gunturi Santosh Srivatsa
• Villalba Jr Manuel G

Classifications

• C22B61/00

  Obtaining metals not elsewhere provided for in this subclass (iron C21) · CPC title

• C22B15/0071

  containing sulfur · CPC title

• C22B3/3842

  Phosphinic acid, e.g. H2P(O)(OH) · CPC title

• C22B3/28

  Amines · CPC title

• C22B3/12

  in inorganic alkaline solutions · CPC title