Gypsum scale inhibitors for ore slurry systems in hydro-metallurgical applications

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9719008-B2
Application number	US-201414510616-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 9, 2014
Priority date	Oct 15, 2013
Publication date	Aug 1, 2017
Grant date	Aug 1, 2017

Abstract

The current technology relates to mining processes and compositions which inhibit the growth of complex scale. More specifically it relates to a process for preventing/inhibiting and/or controlling gypsum scale in aqueous mineral ore slurries, and for inhibiting scale in relatively high solids content environments in industrial mining operations.

First claim

We claim:

1. A process for preventing/inhibiting/controlling complex scale in mining operations comprising: adding to an aqueous mineral ore slurry having a solids content of at least 10%, a scale inhibiting composition in an amount of from about 5 parts-per-million (ppm) to about 300 ppm, wherein the scale inhibiting composition comprises an active component selected from
a) a carboxylate polymer having the formula
R 1 —CH 2 —CH(CO 2 H)—R 2 —R 3

wherein R1 is selected from the group consisting of sulfonate, sulfate, phosphonate, alcohol, 1,1-diphenylhexyl, tert-butyl, mercaptoethanol, mercaptopropionic acid, and mercaptoglycolic acid; R 2 is a polycarboxylate; and R 3 is H or R 1 ; or
b) a polyamine acid having the formula
poly(X) m poly(Y) n

wherein X and Y are independently selected from the group consisting of an amino acid, a salt of n amino acid and an amino acid derivative, m can be from about 2 to about 60, n can be up to about 60, and the sum of m and n is at least about 5; and
wherein the pH of the mineral ore slurry is below 9.0 and the complex scale comprises gypsum.

2. The process of claim 1 , wherein the mineral ore slurry comprises a mineral selected from the group consisting of gold, aluminum, silver, platinum, copper, nickel, zinc, lead, molybdenum, cobalt and combinations thereof.

3. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the mineral ore slurry further comprises quartz, dolomite, calcite, gypsum, barite or muscovite.

4. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the mineral ore slurry comprises from about 5 ppm to about 300 ppm of the active component in the scale inhibiting composition per the aqueous phase.

5. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the carboxylate polymer has a weight average molecular weight of about 1,000 grams/mol to about 20,000 grams/mol.

6. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the polycarboxylate is polyacrylic acid.

7. The process according to claim 1 , wherein X and Y are independently selected from the group consisting of aspartic acid, glutamic acid, lysine, aspartate, glutamate, a salt of lysine, an aspartate derivative, a glutamate derivative, and a lysine derivative; m is about 5 to about 12; n is up to about 12 and the sum of m and n is about 5 to about 12.

8. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the polyamine acid is polyaspartic acid.

9. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the organic phosphonate is selected from the group consisting of hexamethylenediamine tetra (methylene phosphonic acid), diethylenetriamine penta(methylene phosphonic acid) and bis(hexamethylene triamine penta(methylene phosphonic acid).

Assignees

• Solenis Tech Lp

Inventors

• Bakeev Kirill N
• Dimaio Andrew M

Classifications

• C22B3/02 Primary

  Apparatus therefor · CPC title

• C23F14/02

  by chemical means · CPC title

• C09K8/52 Primary

  Compositions for preventing, limiting or eliminating depositions, e.g. for cleaning · CPC title

• Y02P10/234

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• Y02P10/20

  Recycling · CPC title