System and method including multi-circuit solution extraction for recovery of metal values from metal-bearing materials

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023134310-A1
Application number	US-202218090725-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 29, 2022
Priority date	Dec 20, 2011
Publication date	May 4, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a metal recovery process comprising a solvent extraction process. In an exemplary embodiment, the solution extraction system comprises a plant with a first and second circuit. A high-grade pregnant leach solution (“HGPLS”) is provided to the first and second circuit, and a low-grade pregnant leach solution (“LGPLS”) is provided to the second circuit. The first circuit produces a rich electrolyte, which can be forwarded to a primary metal recovery, and a low-grade raffinate, which can be forwarded to a secondary metal recovery process. The second circuit produces a rich electrolyte, which can also be forwarded to the primary metal recovery process. The first and second circuits are in fluid communication with each other.

First claim

1 . (canceled)

2 . A method for extracting metal value comprising:
preparing a first metal-bearing material; preparing a second metal-bearing material; performing a first reactive process on the first metal-bearing material to make a first HGPLS; performing a second reactive process on the second metal-bearing material to make a second HGPLS; and performing a solution extraction process comprising forwarding the first HGPLS to a first circuit of a solution extraction plant, and forwarding the second HGPLS to a second circuit of the solution extraction plant, wherein the first circuit of the solution extraction plant and the second circuit of the solution extraction plant are in fluid communication with each other.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the first circuit of the solution extraction plant comprises at least two first circuit extractors, one first circuit stripping unit and operates under a first set of chemical conditions, and wherein the second circuit of the solution extraction plant comprises at least two second circuit extractors, one second circuit stripping unit, and operates under a second set of chemical conditions.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the first set of chemical conditions and the second set of chemical conditions are not the same.

5 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the first reactive process and the second reactive process are not the same.

6 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
extracting, using the first circuit of the solution extraction plant, a first circuit electrolyte; extracting, using the second circuit of the solution extraction plant, a second circuit electrolyte; forwarding the first circuit electrolyte to a primary electrowinning unit; and forwarding the second circuit electrolyte to a secondary electrowinning unit.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the first circuit electrolyte is comprised of high metal concentration.

8 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the second circuit electrolyte is comprised of high metal concentration.

9 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
conditioning the first HGPLS with a first set of reagents; and conditioning the second HGPLS with a second set of reagents, wherein the first set of reagents and the second set of reagents are not the same.

10 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the first HGPLS and the second HGPLS comprise copper.

11 . The method of claim 3 , wherein at least one of the first unit extractors produces a raffinate comprised of high metal concentration.

12 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the first circuit stripping unit receives an electrolyte comprised of low metal concentration.

13 . A system for extracting metal value comprising:
a first HGPLS; a second HGPLS; and a solution extraction plant comprising a first circuit and a second circuit, wherein the first circuit comprises a plurality of first circuit extractors, at least one first circuit stripping unit, and operates under a first set of chemical conditions, and wherein the second circuit comprises a plurality of second circuit extractors, at least one second circuit stripping unit, and operates under a second set of chemical conditions, and wherein the first circuit and the second circuit are in fluid communication.

14 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the first set of chemical conditions and the second set of chemical conditions are not the same.

15 . The system of claim 13 , wherein at least one of the first circuit extractors in the plurality of first circuit extractors produces a raffinate comprised of high metal concentration.

16 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the at least one first circuit stripping unit receives an electrolyte comprised of low metal concentration.

17 . The system of claim 13 , further comprising forming a first circuit electrolyte by a first circuit stripper and forming a second circuit electrolyte by a second circuit stripper.

18 . The system of claim 17 , wherein the first circuit electrolyte is comprised of high metal concentration.

19 . The system of claim 17 , further comprising forwarding the first circuit electrolyte to a primary electrowinning unit and forwarding the second circuit electrolyte to a secondary electrowinning unit.

20 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the first HGPLS and the second HGPLS comprise copper.

Assignees

• Freeport Minerals Corp

Inventors

• Morgan Jason M
• Savage Barbara J
• Meadows David G
• Hazen Wayne W

Classifications

• C22B3/20

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

• C22B3/44

  by chemical processes (treatment or purification of solutions by liquid-liquid extraction C22B3/26, by ion-exchange extraction C22B3/42) · CPC title

• Y02P10/20

  Recycling · CPC title

• C22B3/26

  by liquid-liquid extraction using organic compounds · CPC title

• B01D11/0488

  Flow sheets · CPC title