Patents Assigned to Billiton Intellectual Property, B.V.
  • Stable ferric arsenate precipitation from acid copper solutions whilst minimising copper losses
    Patent number: 7314604
    Abstract: A method of which includes the steps of introducing an acidic solution containing (V), copper, ferric iron and ferrous iron into a first tank of a series of continuously stirred tank reactors and, in the first tank, adding air to the solution; heating the solution to an elevated temperature; recycling a portion of selectively precipitated ferric arsenate compounds to the said first tank; and seeding the solution with ferric arsenate compounds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2008
    Assignee: Billiton Intellectual Property, B.V.
    Inventors: Paul Harvey, Colette Kock, John de Klerk Batty
  • Recovery of precious metal from sulphide minerals by bioleaching
    Patent number: 6860919
    Abstract: A method of recovering a precious metal from a sulphide mineral slurry which contains the precious metal which includes the steps of subjecting the slurry to a bioleaching process, supplying a feed gas which contains in excess of 21% oxygen by volume to the slurry, and recovering precious metal from a bioleach residue of the bioleaching process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2005
    Assignee: Billiton Intellectual Property, B.V.
    Inventors: Alan Norton, John de Klerk Batty, David William Dew, Petrus Basson
  • Recovery of copper from copper bearing sulphide minerals by bioleaching with controlled oxygen feed
    Patent number: 6833020
    Abstract: A method of recovering copper from a copper bearing sulphide mineral which includes the steps of subjecting the slurry to a bioleaching process, supplying a feed gas which contains in excess of 21% oxygen by volume, to the slurry, and recovering copper from a bioleach residue of the bioleaching process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2004
    Assignee: Billiton Intellectual Property, B.V.
    Inventors: David William Dew, Petrus Basson, Deborah Maxine Miller
  • Recovery of nickel from nickel bearing sulphide minerals by bioleaching
    Patent number: 6733567
    Abstract: A method of recovering nickel from a nickel bearing sulphide mineral slurry which includes the steps of subjecting the slurry to a bioleaching process, supplying a feed gas which contains in excess of 21% oxygen by volume, to the slurry, and recovering nickel from a bioleach residue of the bioleaching process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2004
    Assignee: Billiton Intellectual Property, B.V.
    Inventors: David William Dew, Petrus Basson, Alan Norton, Frank Crundwell
  • Recovery of nickel and copper from sulphide concentrates by bioleaching
    Patent number: 6582494
    Abstract: A process for recovering nickel and copper from a concentrate which includes the steps of subjecting the concentrate to a treatment phase to produce a first leach solution which contains predominantly copper and a second leach solution which contains predominantly nickel, subjecting the first leach solution to a process for copper recovery which includes a solvent extraction step to produce a raffinate which is high in sulphuric acid, recycling at least a portion of the raffinate to the aforementioned treatment phase and subjecting the second leach solution to a process for nickel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2003
    Assignee: Billiton Intellectual Property, B.V.
    Inventors: David William Dew, Deborah Maxine Miller
  • Process for the precipitation of aluminum trihydroxide from a supersaturated sodium aluminate solution
    Patent number: 5690700
    Abstract: A process for the precipitation of aluminum trihydroxide from a supersaturated sodium aluminate solution, comprising the steps of(a) supplying a stream of supersaturated sodium aluminate solution and a first stream of aluminum trihydroxide particles as seed particles to a first reaction circuit,(b) maintaining the sodium aluminate stream containing the stream of seed particles in the first reaction circuit under conditions mainly resulting in precipitation and agglomeration of aluminum trihydroxide,(c) passing the stream thus obtained to a second reaction circuit in which the stream is maintained under conditions mainly resulting in precipitation and growth of aluminum trihydroxide particles,(d) passing the stream obtained in the second reaction circuit to a separation/classification unit to separate the stream into a first aluminum trihydroxide product stream comprising the coarser particle size portion, a second aluminum trihydroxide product stream comprising the finer particle size portion and a spent liqu
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 1995
    Date of Patent: November 25, 1997
    Assignee: Billiton Intellectual Property B.V.
    Inventor: Iwan Dilip Kumar Hiralal