Noble Metal Recovered As Free Metal Patents (Class 75/744)
  • Patent number: 11788170
    Abstract: Discloses a hydrometallurgical process and system for the recovery of precious metals; specifically palladium, rhodium, and platinum metals, at high purity and with limited waste and environmental fouling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: Stillwater Mining Company
    Inventors: Dave Shuck, Jerry Kolstad, Mark Rapkoch, Grenvil Marquis Dunn
  • Patent number: 11753699
    Abstract: A cost-effective method for recovering precious metals in circuit board components utilizes the basic principle of oxidation-reduction reaction, adopts a mixed solution of sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide and a mixed solution of hydrochloric acid, sodium chloride and sodium chlorate, and also adopts ammonia water and formaldehyde to reduce silver. According to the characteristic that the redox potential of gold and palladium ions is higher, the gold and palladium ions in the chlorination leaching solution are selectively reduced into elements by using a reducing agent which is low in price and moderate in reducibility, then the elements are separated through filtration to realize resource recycling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: BEIJING UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Jiamei Yu, Jiaqi Guo
  • Patent number: 11685964
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method and a device for retrieving, from an object A, elements G present in a matrix M, the method including at least the following steps: bringing said abject A into contact with a dense fluid Fd with a molar mass greater than 2 g mol?1 under temperature T1 and pressure P1 conditions suitable for transforming the intergranular phase and for releasing the elements G, modifying the temperature T2 and/or pressure P2 values to stop the reaction transforming the intergranular phase, and recovering the elements G separated front the matrix M.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignees: CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE, UNIVERSITE DE ROUEN NORMANDIE, INSTITUT NATIONAL DES SCIENCES APPLIQUEES DE ROUEN NORMANDIE
    Inventors: Jean-Marie Le Breton, Nicolas Maat, Cyril Aymonier
  • Patent number: 11401580
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to pre-treatment of precious metal-bearing oxide ores, prior to precious metal leaching by thiosulfate. The process comprises mixing oxide ore in oxygenated water in the presence of a carbon-based material (e.g., activated carbon or other type of carbon). The carbon-based material can be separated from the ore slurry, and, the gold is thereafter leached by a thiosulfate lixiviant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: Barrick Gold Corporation
    Inventors: Yeonuk Choi, Ahmad Ghahremaninezhad Gharelar
  • Patent number: 11401167
    Abstract: This invention relates to an industrial process of manufacturing hydroxide precursor for lithium transition metal oxide used in secondary lithium ion batteries. More particularly, this process utilizes highly concentrated nitrate salts and is designed to mitigate waste production.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignees: UMICORE, UMICORE KOREA, LTD.
    Inventors: Jens Paulsen, Eric Robert, Dirk Vanhoutte, Daniël Nelis, Randy De Palma, Dae-Hyun Kim
  • Patent number: 10844458
    Abstract: The present invention is characterized by comprising: an acid leaching step for obtaining a leach liquid by causing leaching of, by means of an acid, a metal mixture at least containing vanadium and at least one type of a divalent or trivalent metal selected from nickel, cobalt, manganese, palladium, platinum, copper, and zinc; a complex generation step for adding an ammoniacal alkaline aqueous solution to the leach liquid for adjusting the pH to 10-12 and generating, in the alkaline aqueous solution, an ammine complex of a divalent or trivalent metal ion and an anion complex of a tetravalent and/or pentavalent vanadium ion; a divalent or trivalent metal recovery step for adding a carrier having a carboxyl group to the alkaline aqueous solution in which the ammine complex and the anion complex are generated, causing the divalent or trivalent metal ion in the ammine complex to be selectively adsorbed onto the carrier, and recovering the divalent or trivalent metal ion; and a vanadium recovery step for recoveri
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Assignees: National University Corporation Gunma University, Nihon Kanki Industry Co., Ltd., Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd., Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takayuki Takarada, Naokatsu Kannari, Tsutomu Nishide
  • Patent number: 10808295
    Abstract: Methods, systems and lixiviation compositions including an ammonium thiosulfate or a non-ammonium thiosulfate component in combination with one or more alkaline earth metal hydroxides, and optionally copper cations, for leaching precious metals from a precious metal containing material. The alkaline earth metal hydroxides may include magnesium hydroxide, calcium hydroxide, or a combination of magnesium hydroxide and calcium hydroxide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2020
    Inventor: Arman Pivazyan
  • Patent number: 10731232
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method for efficiently leaching copper from copper sulfide ore by separating and recovering iodine, and iron(III) ions to be used are regenerated by a heap of stacked ore in the method for leaching copper from copper sulfide using a sulfuric acid solution containing iodide ions and iron(III) ions as a leaching solution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: JX NIPPON MINING & METALS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Katsuyuki Sato, Akira Miura
  • Patent number: 10400306
    Abstract: A process is provided in which a silver- and base metal-containing material is contacted with an aqueous solution comprising an alkali and/or alkaline earth metal halide and an oxidant at a solution pH of at least about pH 6 to dissolve the silver into a pregnant leach solution while maintaining at least most of the base metal in the silver- and base metal-containing material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignee: Summit Mining International Inc.
    Inventor: Martin Fred Houhoulis
  • Patent number: 10060010
    Abstract: A hydrometallurgical process for recovery of metals and/or semimetals from waste materials, such as high-tech or green-tech wastes, and/or electrical and electronic waste containing compound semiconductor materials and/or back contact materials and/or transparent electrically conducting oxides (TCOs), wherein the waste materials according to the invention are mixed thoroughly with a reaction solution of water, 1 to 5% by mass sodium bisulphate and 1-5% by mass sodium chlorite or with a reaction solution of water, 1 to 50% by mass organosulphonic acid and in the stoichiometric ratio to the organosulphonic acid 1-5% by mass of an oxidizing agent, and the metals and/or semimetals that are to be recovered are dissolved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2018
    Inventors: Ulrich Loser, Wolfram Palitzsch
  • Patent number: 9290827
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method of leaching copper and gold from sulfide ores, which includes Process (1) of bringing a first aqueous acidic solution which contains chlorine ion, copper ion and iron ion, but no bromine ion, into contact with sulfide ores under supply of an oxidizing agent, so as to leach copper component contained in the sulfide ores; Process (2) of separating, by solid-liquid separation, a leaching reaction liquid obtained in Process (1), into a leaching residue and a leachate; and Process (3) of bringing a second aqueous acidic solution which contains chlorine ion, bromine ion, copper ion and iron ion, into contact with the leaching residue obtained in Process (2) under supply of an oxidizing agent, so as to leach gold contained in the leaching residue.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: JX NIPPON MINING & METALS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Hatano, Yoshifumi Abe, Koji Katsukawa, Eiki Ono
  • Patent number: 9150942
    Abstract: The invention relates to modifications of a non-ammoniacal thiosulfate process of leaching precious metals (e.g. gold or silver) from precious metal-containing ores. The process involves leaching the ore with an aqueous lixiviant containing a soluble thiosulfate other than ammonium thiosulfate, a copper compound and an organic compound that serves as a copper ligand (i.e. a ligand-forming compound). Four modifications of this process are effective for increasing the amount of precious metal that can be extracted, reducing the consumption of materials, or for improving the rate of extraction. These four process, which may be used singly or in any combination, include (a) additions of soluble lead (e.g. as lead nitrate), (b) additions of thiourea, (c) increases in dissolved oxygen, and (d) increases of temperature at ambient pressure. This avoids the use environmentally harmful chemicals and allows for extraction from a variety of ores, e.g., containing substantial amounts of sulfides and/or quartz.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2015
    Assignee: HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN IN RIGHAT OF CANADA AS REPRESENTED BY THE MINISTER OF NATURAL RESOURCES CANADA
    Inventor: Chen Xia
  • Patent number: 9045811
    Abstract: A process of leaching gold can be inexpensively and efficiently carried out from a mixture containing sulfur and gold, typically from the material containing sulfur and gold that is an intermediate product recovered by the flotation method in the hydrometallurgical method. Specifically, the mixture containing elemental sulfur and gold and an aqueous solution of hydroxide of one or more of metals of alkali metals and alkaline earth metals are combined, the hydroxides reacting with elemental sulfur to form thiosulfate of alkali and/or alkaline earth metal, and the gold thereby being leached by reaction with the thiosulfate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2015
    Assignee: JX NIPPON MINING & METALS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masaki Sano, Yoshifumi Abe, Kazuhiro Hatano, Koji Katsukawa
  • Patent number: 9039806
    Abstract: The invention provides a recycling step in an oxidative pressure leaching process for recovery of metals using halide ions, in which a portion of the leached solids are recycled back to the feed to the autoclave, to allow two or more passes through the high temperature leaching step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2015
    Assignee: International PGM Technologies
    Inventors: David B. Dreisinger, Chris A. Fleming
  • Publication number: 20150114183
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for recovering non-ferrous metals from a solid matrix comprising the following phases: (a) leaching the solid matrix with an aqueous-based solution containing chloride ions and ammonium ions and having a pH within the range of 6.5-8.5, in the presence of oxygen, at a temperature ranging from 100° C. to 160° C. and a pressure within the range of 150 kPa-800 kPa, so as to obtain an extraction solution comprising the leached metals and a solid leaching residue; (b) separating said solid leaching residue from said extraction solution; (c) subjecting said extraction solution to at least one cementation so as to recover the metals in the elemental state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 10, 2013
    Publication date: April 30, 2015
    Applicant: METALS TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT COMPANY LLC
    Inventors: Massimo Giuseppe Maccagni, Jonathan Hylkjier Nielsen, William Leonard Lane, David Michael Olkkonen, Timothy Roy Hymer
  • Patent number: 8999034
    Abstract: Disclosed are methods and compositions for improving metal extraction processes by introducing at least one cationically charged compound selected from a group consisting of amines, particularly quaternary amines such as alkyldimethylbenzylammonium chlorides (ADBAC compounds), polyamines and other suitable cationic organic materials, and mixtures thereof, for neutralizing and/or coagulating excess anionic organic compounds including, for example, flotation reagents, surfactants, polymers, flotation reagent by-products and/or anti-scalant additives found in metal concentrate streams, and thereby reduce the downstream fouling of the activated carbon by these compounds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: Chemtreat, Inc.
    Inventors: John Richardson, Robert Bedinger, Kevin Gottschalk
  • Patent number: 8974572
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method and apparatus for recovering rare metal, which separates and collects rare metals by making use of chemical actions in an efficient combination of adsorption and separation, thereby reducing work load and improving work safety. The method for recycling rare metals includes a leaching step in which a rare metal of palladium, platinum, and rhodium is mixed with hydrochloric acid into a hydrochloric acid mixture, which is then stirred at one atmospheric pressure or lower at a temperature from 50 to 90 degrees Centigrade. The vapor resulting from the stirring is condensed, and the hydrochloric acid resulting from the condensing is fed back to the original hydrochloric acid mixture to produce a hydrochloric acid leaching solution. The hydrochloric acid leaching solution produced in the leaching step is used to collect the rare metals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2015
    Inventor: Haruo Uehara
  • Patent number: 8940257
    Abstract: According to the present invention, ruthenium or a ruthenium compound, which is expensive, can be collected with high efficiency even from an aqueous solution containing a water-soluble salt, a lower alcohol, an organic acid or the like, by adding at least one specific inorganic adsorbent to an aqueous solution containing ruthenium or the ruthenium compound, dissolving the entirety or a part of the inorganic adsorbent under an acidic condition, and then adding an alkali to adjust the solution to be an alkaline solution having a pH value of 7 or higher, thereby depositing the inorganic adsorbent while causing the inorganic adsorbent to adsorb ruthenium or the ruthenium compound.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2015
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Takashi Ouchi, Yoshio Nishimura
  • Patent number: 8936667
    Abstract: This invention relates to a process for the recovery of precious metal/s from a precious metal-containing material in an aqueous leach slurry or solution. The process includes the step of contacting the precious metal/s in the leach slurry or solution with a ligand selected from dithiooxamide (rubeanic acid), or a substituted dithiooxamide. The leaching of PGMs, gold and silver from their ores using the ligand of the present invention may take place under aqueous alkaline conditions, avoiding both corrosive acidic conditions and the use of cyanide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2015
    Assignee: Anglo Operations Limited
    Inventors: Diandree Padayachee, Makhosazane Chucky Kunene, Marga Retha Burger, Noko Simon Phala
  • Publication number: 20140373684
    Abstract: Discloses a hydrometallurgical process and system for the recovery of precious metals; specifically palladium, rhodium, and platinum metals, at high purity and with limited waste and environmental fouling.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 3, 2012
    Publication date: December 25, 2014
    Applicant: STILLWATER MINING COMPANY
    Inventors: Dave Shuck, Jerry Kolstad, Mark Rapkoch, Grenvil Marquis Dunn
  • Patent number: 8911533
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method of recovering gold from an aqueous solution having a gold concentration of 10 mg/L or lower, using a plurality of extraction apparatuses for bringing the aqueous solution into contact with an extraction agent, arranged to configure a multi-stage extraction process, the method allowing the aqueous solution to continuously flow from the first-stage extraction process to the next-stage extraction process, while recycling the extraction medium used in each stage twice or more times for the extraction process of the same stage, without back extraction and reduction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2014
    Assignee: JX Nippon Mining & Metals Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Hatano, Yoshifumi Abe, Eiki Ono, Koji Katsukawa
  • Publication number: 20140356225
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to pre-treatment of precious metal-bearing oxide ores, prior to precious metal leaching by thiosulfate. The process comprises mixing oxide ore in oxygenated water in the presence of a carbon-based material (e.g., activated carbon or other type of carbon). The carbon-based material can be separated from the ore slurry, and, the gold is thereafter leached by a thiosulfate lixiviant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 27, 2014
    Publication date: December 4, 2014
    Inventors: Yeonuk Choi, Ahmad Ghahremaninezhad Gharelar
  • Patent number: 8894740
    Abstract: A process and system for recovery of gold from an ore having the steps of i) providing the ore containing the gold to be recovered, ii) leaching the ore in an oxidative chloride medium, including a nitrogen species to produce a solution comprising gold; and iii) recovering the gold from the solution. The gold in a preferred embodiment is recovered from refractory and carbonaceous ores.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: Neomet Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: Bryn Harris, Carl White
  • Publication number: 20140331822
    Abstract: Disclosed is a process of leaching gold that can be inexpensively and efficiently carried out from a mixture containing sulfur and gold, typically from the material containing sulfur and gold that is an intermediate product recovered by the flotation method in the hydrometallurgical method. Specifically, disclosed is a process of leaching gold from the mixture containing elemental sulfur and gold, the process involving combining the mixture containing elemental sulfur and gold and an aqueous solution of hydroxide of one or more of metals of alkali metals and alkaline earth metals, the hydroxides reacting with elemental sulfur to form thiosulfate of alkali and/or alkaline earth metal, and the gold thereby being leached by reaction with the thiosulfate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 21, 2014
    Publication date: November 13, 2014
    Inventors: Masaki SANO, Yoshifumi ABE, Kazuhiro HATANO, Koji KATSUKAWA
  • Publication number: 20140311297
    Abstract: Methods for recovering gold from gold-bearing materials are provided. The methods rely upon on the self-assembly of KAuBr4 and ?-cyclodextrin (?-CD) in aqueous solution to form a co-precipitate, a 1:2 complex, KAuBr4•(?-CD)2 (“?•Br”), either alone or in an extended {[K(OH2)6][AuBr4]?(?-CD)2}n chain superstructure (FIG. 1). The co-precipitation of ?•Br is selective for gold, even in the presence of other metals, including other square-planar noble metals. The method enables one to isolate gold from gold-bearing materials from diverse sources, as further described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2014
    Publication date: October 23, 2014
    Applicant: Northwestern University
    Inventors: J. Fraser Stoddart, Zhichang Liu, Marco Frasconi, Dennis Cao
  • Publication number: 20140298954
    Abstract: Recovering gold from gold-loaded fine carbon by application of thermo-kinetic chemical activation regime at a low temperature, while preventing vitrification of imputies found in the gold-loaded fine carbon.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 8, 2013
    Publication date: October 9, 2014
    Inventors: Ruben ARZUMANYAN, Vladimir MATOSYAN
  • Patent number: 8821613
    Abstract: Processes are provided for recovering precious metals from refractory materials using thiosulfate lixiviants. The processes can employ lixiviants that include at most only small amounts of copper and/or ammonia and operate at a relatively low pH, reduction of polythionates, inert atmospheres to control polythionate production, and electrolytic solutions which provide relatively high rates of precious metal recovery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: Placer Dome Technical Services Ltd.
    Inventors: Jinxing Ji, Christopher Andrew Fleming, Paul George West-Sells, Ralph Peter Hackl
  • Patent number: 8728198
    Abstract: A method of recovering metal from heap leached ore is provided. The method includes supplying process fluid to a tank, distributing heap leached ore in the tank, optionally disrupting the flow of ore through the tank, creating a pregnant solution and discharging the process fluid, heap leached ore and pregnant solution from the tank to recover additional metal from the heap leached ore.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: Applied Soil Water Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: William K. Morrow, Stephen A. Morrow, Robert B. Valceschini
  • Patent number: 8715389
    Abstract: A method and system are provided in which a gold and/or silver-collecting resin-in-leach circuit comprises both co-current and counter-current sections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: Barrick Gold Corporation
    Inventors: Yeonuk Choi, Samir Chefai
  • Patent number: 8702838
    Abstract: A method for recovering a metal, capable of recovering a metal easily without requiring the use of an organic medium, is provided. A complex between a chelating agent and a metal present in a sample is formed in a mixture prepared by mixing the chelating agent and the sample under pH conditions where the chelating agent can be insoluble in an aqueous medium. Then, the complex is recovered from the mixture, and further, the metal is recovered by dissolving the recovered complex in an aqueous medium under pH conditions that are different from the pH conditions where the chelating agent can be insoluble in an aqueous medium. By this method, a metal can be recovered easily without requiring the use of the use of an organic medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: ARKRAY, Inc.
    Inventors: Yuka Shimomura, Mayumi Yamada
  • Publication number: 20140096649
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a precious metal recovery process in which an acid sulfidic feed material is subjected to acid pressure oxidation and an alkaline sulfidic feed material is subjected to alkaline pressure oxidation, with the discharge slurries from the pressure oxidation processes being combined to reduce neutralization requirements prior to precious metal recovery.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2013
    Publication date: April 10, 2014
    Applicant: Barrick Gold Corporation
    Inventors: John William Langhans, Wilson Chung-Yeh Tsu
  • Patent number: 8673055
    Abstract: The invention provides a novel process for improving the recovery of precious metals from recalcitrant refractory ores by the use of hydrofluoric acid dissolved in ionic liquids. The solution of hydrogen fluoride gas in an ionic liquid is contacted with dry crushed ore at a temperature and for a period of time commensurate with the fracturing of a specific recalcitrant refractory ore. The excess ionic liquid is separated from the ore and the fractured ore is further treated with dilute sodium cyanide solution to extract precious metals in greater yields.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Inventor: Bomi P Framroze
  • Publication number: 20140047954
    Abstract: Processes are provided for recovering precious metals from refractory materials using thiosulfate lixiviants. The processes can employ lixiviants that include at most only small amounts of copper and/or ammonia and operate at a relatively low pH, reduction of polythionates, inert atmospheres to control polythionate production, and electrolytic solutions which provide relatively high rates of precious metal recovery.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 21, 2013
    Publication date: February 20, 2014
    Applicant: PLACER DOME TECHNICAL SERVICES LTD.
    Inventors: Jinxing Ji, Christopher Andrew Fleming, Paul George West-Sells, Ralph Peter Hackl
  • Patent number: 8623115
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a precious metal recovery process in which an acid sulfidic feed material is subjected to acid pressure oxidation and an alkaline sulfidic feed material is subjected to alkaline pressure oxidation, with the discharge slurries from the pressure oxidation processes being combined to reduce neutralization requirements prior to precious metal recovery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2014
    Assignee: Barrick Gold Corporation
    Inventors: John William Langhans, Jr., Wilson Chung-Yeh Tsu
  • Publication number: 20140000413
    Abstract: Discloses a hydrometallurgical process and system for the recovery of precious metals; specifically palladium, rhodium, and platinum metals, at high purity and with limited waste and environmental fouling.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2013
    Publication date: January 2, 2014
    Inventors: Dave SHUCK, Jerry KOLSTAD, Mark RAPKOCH, Grenvil Marquis DUNN
  • Patent number: 8613791
    Abstract: This invention relates to a process for obtaining metal values, typically base metals, platinum or gold from a feed material. In a first step of the process of the invention, feed material containing metal values is ground to a particle size d90 of 100 microns or less to form an ultra fine pulp. In a second step of the process of the invention, the ultra fine ground pulp from the first step is oxygenated by pumping it in multiple passes through an in-line high shear static oxygenation device (30), while re-circulating it on a tank (28) or any other vessel. The process of the invention results in a significant reduction in the required leach time, improved recoveries, reduced cyanide consumptions, a steadier gold tail, as well as reduced capital and operational expenditure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2013
    Assignee: Maelgwyn Mineral Services Africa (Proprietary) Limited
    Inventors: Adrian Singh, Brian Tinniswood, Michael Battersby, Rainer Imhof
  • Publication number: 20130330255
    Abstract: According to the present invention, ruthenium or a ruthenium compound, which is expensive, can be collected with high efficiency even from an aqueous solution containing a water-soluble salt, a lower alcohol, an organic acid or the like, by adding at least one specific inorganic adsorbent to an aqueous solution containing ruthenium or the ruthenium compound, dissolving the entirety or a part of the inorganic adsorbent under an acidic condition, and then adding an alkali to adjust the solution to be an alkaline solution having a pH value of 7 or higher, thereby depositing the inorganic adsorbent while causing the inorganic adsorbent to adsorb ruthenium or the ruthenium compound.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2012
    Publication date: December 12, 2013
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI GAS CHEMICAL COMPANY, INC.
    Inventors: Takashi Ouchi, Yoshio Nishimura
  • Patent number: 8597399
    Abstract: Processes are provided for recovering precious metals from refractory materials using thiosulfate lixiviants. The processes can employ lixiviants that include at most only small amounts of copper and/or ammonia and operate at a relatively low pH, reduction of polythionates, inert atmospheres to control polythionate production, and electrolytic solutions which provide relatively high rates of precious metal recovery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: Placer Dome Technical Services Limited
    Inventors: Jinxing Ji, Christopher Andrew Fleming, Paul George West-Sells, Ralph Peter Hackl
  • Patent number: 8585798
    Abstract: The copper sulfide ore is leached in the halide bath without using a special oxidant but with the use of only air. The copper and gold in the copper sulfide ore can be leached at high leaching ratio. The treating steps are as follows. (1) Copper leaching process (CL). The raw material is charged into the first acidic aqueous solution, which contains cupric chloride, ferric chloride, 7 g/L of hydrochloric acid, and sodium chloride. The post-leach liquor contains copper in cuprous state ions and copper in cupric state ions. (2) Solid-Liquid separation step. The resultant solid and liquid of CL step are separated. (3) Air oxidation step (OX). Air is blown into the post solid-liquid separation liquor. The copper in cuprous state ions are oxidized to the copper in cupric state ions. The iron leached in the step (1) is oxidized. Simultaneously, the impurities leached in the step (2) are precipitated. (4) Copper extracting step (CEX).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2013
    Assignee: Nippon Mining & Metals Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshifumi Abe, Hiroshi Hosaka, Kazuaki Takebayashi, Yasunari Ishiguro, Akira Yoshimura
  • Publication number: 20130283976
    Abstract: A process for the extraction of gold from a gold-bearing ore or concentrate, comprising the steps of leaching the gold-bearing ore or concentrate with a lixiviant of hydrochloric acid and magnesium chloride at atmospheric pressure at a temperature of at least 90° C. and an Eh of at least 900 mV. After a liquid/solids separation step, the solution obtained is subjected to an organic solvent extraction step using an oxime to obtain a solution of organic solvent containing gold, which is stripped with sodium thiosulphate to recover gold. The extraction may be operated to extract gold with or without iron. Materials used in the process may be recycled. The process avoids environmental and other hazards associated with the use of cyanide to extract gold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 8, 2013
    Publication date: October 31, 2013
    Inventors: Vaikuntam I. Lakshmanan, Ramamritham Sridhar, M. A. Halim
  • Publication number: 20130220079
    Abstract: A process and system for recovery of gold from an ore having the steps of i) providing the ore containing the gold to be recovered, ii) leaching the ore in an oxidative chloride medium, including a nitrogen species to produce a solution comprising gold; and iii) recovering the gold from the solution. The gold in a preferred embodiment is recovered from refractory and carbonaceous ores.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 4, 2011
    Publication date: August 29, 2013
    Applicant: NEOMET TECHNOLOGIES INC.
    Inventors: Bryn Harris, Carl White
  • Patent number: 8500847
    Abstract: A gold thiosulfate leaching process uses carbon to remove gold from the leach liquor. The activated carbon is pretreated with copper cyanide. A copper (on the carbon) to gold (in solution) ratio of at least 1.5 optimizes gold recovery from solution. To recover the gold from the carbon, conventional elution technology works but is dependent on the copper to gold ratio on the carbon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Inventors: Courtney Young, Mariam Melashvili, Nicholas V. Gow
  • Publication number: 20130139648
    Abstract: A high purity platinum recovery method including the steps of dissolving a platinum alloy containing ruthenium in aqua regia and eliminating residue, thereafter causing acid with platinum dissolved therein and an ammonium chloride solution to react so as to deposit chloroplatinic ammonium salt, and reducing the chloroplatinic ammonium salt to obtain a platinum sponge. The method is characterized in that acid with platinum dissolved therein and the ammonium chloride solution are caused to react at a temperature of 40° C. or higher.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2011
    Publication date: June 6, 2013
    Applicant: JX Nippon Mining & Metals Corporation
    Inventor: Junnosuke Sekiguchi
  • Publication number: 20130104701
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for recovering gold by solvent extraction from an acidic chloride-containing aqueous solution or from slurry containing gold-bearing solids using a diester-based reagent that is poorly soluble in water as organic extraction solution. In accordance with the method, gold is extracted extremely effectively, but other precious metals and many other metals quite sparingly. Gold is stripped from the extraction phase with pure water, from which the gold can be reduced either chemically or electrochemically.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 7, 2011
    Publication date: May 2, 2013
    Applicant: Outotec Oyj
    Inventors: Erkki Paatero, Mika Haapalainen
  • Publication number: 20130091990
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a process for recovering a precious metal from a pregnant leach solution using a resin extractant. The precious metal is eluted from the loaded resin using an eluant comprising trithionate. The barren resin is contacted with a sulfide, bisulfide, and/or polysulfide to convert sorbed trithionate to thiosulfate. The desorbed thiosulfate is contacted with an oxidant and converted to trithionate for eluant recycle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2012
    Publication date: April 18, 2013
    Applicant: BARRICK GOLD CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yeonuk Choi, Qiankun Wang, John William Langhans, JR.
  • Publication number: 20130074655
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the extraction of precious metals, using halogens. It has been found that introducing halogens in the reactor in the form of hypohalites rather than free halogens simplified greatly the recycling of halogens by electrolysis. It increases the rate of addition of the halogens and significantly reduces secondary reactions with base metals such as iron. Operating under acidic conditions, the gold recovery has been found as high with hypochlorite as with elemental chlorine, with an active chlorine to ore ratio reduced by a factor of two to five.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2012
    Publication date: March 28, 2013
    Applicant: NICHROMET EXTRACTION INC.
    Inventors: JEAN-MARC LALANCETTE, BERTRAND DUBREUIL, DAVID LEMIEUX
  • Patent number: 8388730
    Abstract: A process of leaching gold comprising the steps of: a) leaching copper from copper sulfide ore material that contains gold or contains silicate ore containing gold until the copper grade is reduced to 7.9 wt % or less; b) mixing the resulting material having a copper grade of 7.9 wt % or less with a gold leaching solution selected from the group consisting of a first solution containing chloride ions and ferric ions, and a second solution containing chloride ions and iron ions, the iron ions having been oxidized to trivalent ferric ions by air bubbled into the second solution; c) adjusting the pH of the gold leaching solution to 1.9 or less with stirring to leach at least gold in the material into the gold leaching solution by the oxidative activity of the ferric ions contained in the gold leaching solution, wherein the concentration of gold is reduced by selectively removing gold from part or all of the gold leaching solution during gold leaching.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: JX Nippon Mining & Metals Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshifumi Abe, Hiroshi Hosaka, Kazuaki Takebayashi, Yasunari Ishiguro, Akira Yoshimura
  • Publication number: 20120304828
    Abstract: This invention provides a process of leaching gold that can be inexpensively and efficiently carried out without using cyan from the mixture containing sulfur and gold, typically from the material which contains sulfur and gold and is an intermediate product recovered by the flotation method in the hydrometallurgical method. Specifically, this invention provides a process of leaching gold from the mixture containing elemental sulfur and gold, comprising contacting said mixture and an aqueous solution of hydroxide of one or more of metals selected from the group consisting of alkali metals and alkaline earth metals, and reacting said hydroxides and elemental sulfur so that thiosulfate of corresponding metal, and thus, gold is leached by the thiosulfate produced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 29, 2012
    Publication date: December 6, 2012
    Inventors: Masaki SANO, Yoshifumi Abe, Kazuhiro Hatano, Koji Katsukawa
  • Patent number: 8323377
    Abstract: A process for recovering a target metal from an oxidized metalliferous material comprises the steps of: in an acid generation stage, adding sulfuric acid to a solution comprising a metal halide to generate an acidic aqueous halide solution; in a leaching stage that is separate to the acid generation stage, leaching the oxidized metalliferous material with the acidic aqueous halide solution to leach the target metal into solution; passing the solution from the leaching stage to a target metal recovery stage in which the target metal is recovered from the solution while the metal halide is retained in solution; and returning the solution with the metal halide therein from the target metal recovery stage to the acid generation stage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: Intec, Ltd.
    Inventors: John Moyes, Frank Houllis, Andrew Tong
  • Patent number: 8298510
    Abstract: The addition of a compatible metal salt crystal to the organic solution entering the mixer(s) in the solvent extraction stage(s) and/or the stripping stage(s), or to the emulsion mixture of the organic solution and the aqueous solution in the mixer(s), or to the mixture of the organic solution and the aqueous solution in a settler tank(s) following the mixer(s) in the solvent extraction and/or stripping stage(s) following the leaching of metal values from the ore containing that/those value(s) into an aqueous solution, and prior to the further refining of those values in processes, such as electrowinning, during mining operations for those metal values in order to improve the phase separation of the organic phase and the aqueous phase, and to promote the removal of contaminants from the organic phase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: BASF Corporation
    Inventors: Eladio Rojas, Hans C. Hein