Abstract: The hydrometallurgical copper extraction processes of the present teachings generally including two steps: a conditioning or activating step using low concentrations of ammonia and ammonium in an aqueous solution; and an acid leaching step. The processes of the present teachings can be performed at low temperature, for example, at ambient temperature, and at atmospheric pressure.

Abstract: A method for extracting and concentrating copper values from copper-I leach liquors that are economically non-viable using conventional SX-EW or known conventional configurations of IX. The novel process scheme is compatible and advantageous for use with a multi-port valve CIX system, a suitable membrane separation system and a selective scrubbing technique to control iron.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for smelting sulfidic copper concentrates, in which method copper sulfide bearing material is smelted in a smelting furnace (1) for creating blister copper and slag. According to the method, at least part (3) of the feed of the smelting furnace (1) is copper sulfide bearing (3) material obtained by means of sulfide bearing material (2) that is fed into the hydrometallurgic further processing (12,19) of slag (11) created in the smelting process.

Abstract: A method for separating metals from metal-containing materials by extraction without generating large quantities of liquid waste is disclosed. Also disclosed is an extractant composition for use with this method. The method comprises exposing a metal-containing material to a solvent, such as supercritical carbon dioxide, an acid-base complex, and a chelating agent that is not a component of the acid-base complex. The metal is released into the solvent by a combination of oxidation by an oxidizing agent in the acid-base complex and chelation by the chelating agent. The oxidizing agent in the acid-base complex is solubilized by a solubilizing agent. The disclosed method and composition have many applications and are particularly well suited for the extraction of transition metals, including, but not limited to, platinum group metals, nom a metals and coinage metals. Applications include the recovery of metals from scrap materials and the planarization of semiconductor structures.

Abstract: A system and method are disclosed after chemical processing involving agitation and/or mixing of components. In one embodiment, the chemical processing involves pressure oxidation and in another embodiment involves pressure leaching. Agitation during chemical processing is aided by an agitator pump disposed in each compartment or stage of a reactor to draw components into a cavity of the agitator pump. In another embodiment, feed to a multi-stage reactor is split between different compartments of reactor.

Abstract: A method for dissociating metal-ligand complexes in a supercritical fluid by treating the metal-ligand complex with heat and/or reducing or oxidizing agents is described. Once the metal-ligand complex is dissociated, the resulting metal and/or metal oxide form fine particles of substantially uniform size. In preferred embodiments, the solvent is supercritical carbon dioxide and the ligand is a .beta.-diketone such as hexafluoroacetylacetone or dibutyldiacetate. In other preferred embodiments, the metals in the metal-ligand complex are copper, silver, gold, tungsten, titanium, tantalum, tin, or mixtures thereof. In preferred embodiments, the reducing agent is hydrogen. The method provides an efficient process for dissociating metal-ligand complexes and produces easily-collected metal particles free from hydrocarbon solvent impurities. The ligand and the supercritical fluid can be regenerated to provide an economic, efficient process.

Abstract: A treatment of metallurgical dust and recovery of valuable chemical commodities, comprising the steps of: leaching salts from the dust with water to create a washed EAF dust; reacting the washed EAF dust in a nitric acid solution resulting in a nearly complete dissolution of the zinc, cadmium, copper, magnesium, calcium, manganese and lead from a filtrate; removing iron from the filtrate by raising pH in the system with basic zinc carbonate; removing cadmium, copper and lead in an electrolytic cell, where copper and cadmium are collected at the cathode, and lead is collected at the anode; evaporating and decomposing the filtrate to obtain metal oxides and anhydrous calcium nitrate; leaching the solid residue with water to separate calcium nitrate in a marketable form; removing the zinc from the magnesium and manganese by leaching the residue with an amine solution; stripping the filtrate of ammonium carbonate to yield zinc precipitated as a zinc oxycarbonate; dividing the zinc oxycarbonate into a first stream

Abstract: This invention relates to a process for making a shaped copper article directly from a copper-bearing material, comprising: (A) contacting said copper-bearing material with an effective amount of at least one aqueous leaching solution to dissolve copper ions into said leaching solution and form a copper-rich aqueous leaching solution; (B) contacting said copper-rich aqueous leaching solution with an effective amount of at least one water-insoluble extractant to transfer copper ions from said copper-rich aqueous leaching solution to said extractant to form a copper-rich extractant and a copper-depleted aqueous leaching solution; (C) separating said copper-rich extractant from said copper-depleted aqueous leaching solution; (D) contacting said copper-rich extractant with an effective amount of at least one aqueous stripping solution to transfer copper ions from said extractant to said stripping solution to form a copper-rich stripping solution and a copper-depleted extractant; (E) separating said copper-rich st

Abstract: Impurity streams generated during the metallurgy of copper are hydrometallurgically processed at ambient pressure for recovery of primary values in an energy-efficient manner and with the capture and conversion of metallic impurities to states that are acceptable for disposal into the environment. Hallmark features of the various embodiments of this invention include the water leach of flue dust, a controlled acid leach stage in which metal species are solubilized, the extraction of copper as a sulfide, and the ability to operate the various process stages at essentially ambient pressure.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the extraction and separation of low concentrations of precious group metals from acid chloride solutions, which are obtained by leaching catalytic converters, by utilizing a 8-hydroxyquinoline containing resin and a thiourea stripping process. The said process eliminates the phase separation problems and reagent losses which are normally associated with prior art methods. In addition to being used as a catalytic converter recycler, the present invention can be also employed by waste water treatment plants.

Abstract: Improved methods of heap leaching of copper ore with aqueous sulfuric acid solutions comprising a fluoroaliphatic surfactant are disclosed. The fluoroaliphatic surfactant increases the amount of copper values leached and recovered.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing metal powders, where the employed raw materials are metal ions in a liquid phase. According to the invention, at a preliminary stage of the method the liquid phase containing metal ions is reduced with hydrogen at an increased pressure and raised temperature in order to produce porous, sponge-like metal powder. The obtained porous, sponge-like metal powder is further processed at a high temperature, for instance by means of plasma, in order to improve the qualities of the metal powder.