Patents Assigned to Dowa Metals & Mining Co., Ltd.
  • Patent number: 11866802
    Abstract: A method for recovering platinum group metals, includes melting a material to be treated containing platinum group metals, under heating in a furnace, along with a copper source material containing at least one kind of metallic copper and copper oxide, a flux component, and a reducing agent. The molten metal absorbing the platinum group metals is separated from a slag oxide through difference in specific gravity. The molten metal absorbing the platinum group metals is subjected to an oxidation treatment. An oxide layer containing as a major component copper oxide and a molten metal containing as a major component metallic copper containing the platinum group metals concentrated therein are separated through difference in specific gravity. A silver content in the molten metal separated in melting under heating is controlled to 2,000 ppm or more and 8,000 ppm or less, thereby recovering platinum group metals with high efficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: DOWA METALS & MINING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Minoru Kawasaki, Hiromitsu Yatsuhashi, Nobuaki Kita
  • Publication number: 20220259697
    Abstract: There is provided a method for recovering PGM, in which at least one base metal oxide selected from a group consisting of copper oxide, iron oxide, tin oxide, nickel oxide and lead oxide is added to and melted in a molten slag, and a PGM alloy contained in the molten slag is recovered.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 6, 2020
    Publication date: August 18, 2022
    Applicants: WASEDA UNIVERSITY, DOWA METALS & MINING CO., LTD., NIPPON PGM CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Keiichi SUGAWARA, Hiromitsu YATSUHASHI, Katsunori YAMAGUCHI, Takashi MURATA
  • Patent number: 9175365
    Abstract: A method of suppressing a distribution of PGM into a Cu2O slag in an oxidation smelting of a method of recovering PGM, is provided, including: carrying out reduction smelting to a treatment target member containing PGM, Cu and/or Cu2O, and flux, to thereby generate a molten slag and a Cu alloy containing PGM; and oxidizing and melting the Cu alloy containing the PGM, to thereby generate a Cu2O slag containing PGM and the Cu alloy, with more concentrated PGM concentration than the Cu alloy containing the PGM, wherein when carrying out the oxidation smelting, acidic oxide or basic oxide is added.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2015
    Assignee: DOWA METALS & MINING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yuzuru Nakamura, Minoru Kawasaki, Katsunori Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 9115418
    Abstract: Provided is a method of unevenly distributing a specific element in a copper phase out of platinum group elements that exist in the copper phase, including further adding copper into a molten copper phase containing the platinum group elements including at least rhodium, thereby increasing a distribution ratio of rhodium in the molten copper phase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2015
    Assignees: TANAKA KIKINZOKU KOGYO K.K., DOWA METALS & MINING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yuzuru Nakamura, Minoru Kawasaki, Katsunori Yamaguchi, Tetsuya Ueda, Keiko Ishizaki
  • Publication number: 20140150608
    Abstract: Provided is a method of unevenly distributing a specific element in a copper phase out of platinum group elements that exist in the copper phase, including further adding copper into a molten copper phase containing the platinum group elements including at least rhodium, thereby increasing a distribution ratio of rhodium in the molten copper phase.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2012
    Publication date: June 5, 2014
    Applicants: DOWA METALS & MINING CO., LTD., TANAKA KIKINZOKU KOGYO K.K.
    Inventors: Yuzuru Nakamura, Minoru Kawasaki, Katsunori Yamaguchi, Tetsuya Ueda, Keiko Ishizaki
  • Publication number: 20140053687
    Abstract: A method of suppressing a distribution of PGM into a Cu2O slag in an oxidation smelting of a method of recovering PGM, is provided, including: carrying out reduction smelting to a treatment target member containing PGM, Cu and/or Cu2O, and flux, to thereby generate a molten slag and a Cu alloy containing PGM; and oxidizing and melting the Cu alloy containing the PGM, to thereby generate a Cu2O slag containing PGM and the Cu alloy, with more concentrated PGM concentration than the Cu alloy containing the PGM, wherein when carrying out the oxidation smelting, acidic oxide or basic oxide is added.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 13, 2012
    Publication date: February 27, 2014
    Applicant: DOWA METALS & MINING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yuzuru Nakamura, Minoru Kawasaki, Katsunori Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 8465723
    Abstract: Provided is an arsenic-containing solid comprising 100 parts by mass of a scorodite-type iron-arsenic compound and at least 1 part by mass of an iron oxide compound added thereto, in which the scorodite-type iron-arsenic compound is produced by adding an oxidizing agent to an aqueous acidic solution that contains a 5-valent arsenic (V) ion and a 2-valent iron (II) ion, then promoting the precipitation of an iron-arsenic compound with stirring the liquid, and finishing the precipitation thereof within a range where the pH of the liquid is at most 1.2. The iron oxide compound includes goethite, hematite and their mixture, preferably having a BET specific surface area of at least 3 m2/g, more preferably at least 20 m2/g.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2013
    Assignee: Dowa Metals & Mining Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tetsuo Fujita, Ryoichi Taguchi, Hisashi Kubo
  • Patent number: 8388927
    Abstract: Scorodite-type iron-arsenic compound particles in which the particle surface layer part comprise an iron-rich layer having an Fe/As molar ratio of at least 1.24. The particles can be obtained in a reaction process of feeding an oxygen-containing gas to an aqueous solution containing an arsenic(V) ion and an iron(II) ion to precipitate a scorodite-type iron-arsenic compound crystal at a pH of at most 2, in which an oxidizing agent is further added to the liquid before the end of the reaction (treatment A). The particles may also be obtained by a method comprising keeping a scorodite-type iron-arsenic compound particle of good crystallinity in contact with an iron ion-containing aqueous solution having a controlled pH of from 2 to 9 at 0 to 90° C. (treatment B). The scorodite-type iron-arsenic particles have good filterability and excellent arsenic release-preventing effect.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: Dowa Metals & Mining Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenichi Inoue, Haruhiro Otani, Yoshihiro Honma
  • Patent number: 8366991
    Abstract: An apparatus for recovering platinum group elements comprises a furnace body having an interior space substantially shot off from external air, a material charging port and an exhaust port provided in an upper half of the furnace body, at least two fluid discharge ports provided in a lower half of the furnace body at different height levels. a material charging chute connected to the material charging port. an exhaust unit connected to the exhaust port; and electrodes for passing electric current through and heating material charged into the furnace. The material charging chute is equipped with a vertical two stage shutter so as to maintain airtightness when material is charged into the interior space of the furnace.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignees: Dowa Metals & Mining Co., Ltd., Tanaka Kikinzoku Kogyo K.K., Kosaka Smelting & Refining Co., Ltd., Nippon PGM Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Koji Yamada, Masahiko Ogino, Nobuyasu Ezawa, Hiroshi Inoue
  • Patent number: 8110162
    Abstract: Provided is a method of easily producing scorodite which is stable and has excellent filtering properties with excellent reproducibility and without using complex operations, when processing arsenic that is included in non-ferrous smelting intermediates, and particularly when processing copper arsenic compounds in the form of an intermetallic compound. Scorodite is produced by a leaching step of leaching arsenic from a non-ferrous melting intermediate containing a copper arsenic compound in the form of an intermetallic compound in the presence of a sulfidizing agent and an oxidizing agent, a solution adjusting step of oxidizing trivalent arsenic to pentavalent arsenic by adding the oxidizing agent to the leaching solution, and a crystallizing step of converting the arsenic in the adjusted solution to scorodite crystals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2012
    Assignee: Dowa Metals & Mining Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Mitsuo Abumiya, Yusuke Sato, Hironobu Mikami, Masami Oouchi, Tetsuo Fujita, Masayoshi Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 8097228
    Abstract: To provide a method of generating, with good reproducibility and ease and without complicated operations, scorodite which satisfies the elution standard (in accordance with Notification of No. 13 of Japanese Environment Agency) and which has good filterbility and stability for processing arsenic contained in a diarsenic trioxide form. A method of processing diarsenic trioxide, including: a leaching step of adding water to diarsenic trioxide to produce slurry, heating the slurry, and leaching arsenic while adding an oxidant to obtain leachate; a deoxidization step of removing the oxidant so as to obtain an adjusted solution; and a crystallizing step of converting arsenic in the adjusted solution to scorodite crystal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2012
    Assignee: Dowa Metals and Mining Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Mitsuo Abumiya, Yusuke Sato, Hironobu Mikami, Masami Oouchi, Tetsuo Fujita, Masayoshi Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 8092764
    Abstract: Provided is a method of easily producing easily-filterable and stable scorodite that meets the leaching standard (conformance to Japanese Environmental Agency Notice 13) with excellent reproducibility and without using complex operations, when processing arsenic that is included in non-ferrous smelting intermediates, and particularly when processing arsenic in the form of a sulfide. Scorodite is produced by a leaching step of leaching arsenic from a non-ferrous melting intermediate containing arsenic in the weakly acid region, a solution adjusting step of oxidizing trivalent arsenic to pentavalent arsenic by adding an oxidizing agent to the leaching solution, and a crystallizing step of converting the arsenic in the adjusted solution to scorodite crystals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2012
    Assignee: Dowa Metals and Mining Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Mitsuo Abumiya, Yusuke Sato, Hironobu Mikami, Masami Oouchi, Tetsuo Fujita, Masayoshi Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 8092765
    Abstract: To extract arsenic from intermediates containing arsenic, to outside the system in stable form. A method of processing non-ferrous smelting intermediate containing arsenic in sulfide form and a non-ferrous smelting intermediate containing arsenic and copper as metal; a solution adjusting step of adding an oxidation agent to the leaching solution to oxidize trivalent arsenic to pentavalent arsenic and obtain an adjusting solution; and a crystallization step of converting arsenic in the adjusted solution to scorodite crystals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2012
    Assignee: Dowa Metals and Mining Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Mitsuo Abumiya, Yusuke Sato, Hironobu Mikami, Masami Oouchi, Tetsuo Fujita, Masayoshi Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 8075868
    Abstract: There is provided an iron arsenate powder which is produced from an arsenic containing solution and wherein the concentration of arsenic eluted or released from the powder is very low. The iron arsenate powder is a powder of dihydrate of iron arsenate, which has a crystal structure of rhombic system and which has lattice constants of a=0.8950 to 0.8956 nm, b=1.0321 to 1.0326 nm and c=1.0042 to 1.0050 nm at room temperatures and atmospheric pressure. The iron arsenate powder can be produced by a method comprising the steps of: adding ferrous ions to an arsenic containing solution to cause the molar ratio (Fe/As) of iron to arsenic in the solution to be not lower than 1; adding an oxidizing agent to the solution; heating the solution to a temperature of not lower than 70° C. while stirring the solution, to allow a reaction; and carrying out a solid-liquid separation to wash the obtained solid part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2011
    Assignees: Dowa Metals & Mining Co., Ltd., Tohoku University
    Inventors: Tetsuo Fujita, Takashi Nakamura, Shigeru Suzuki, Kozo Shinoda
  • Publication number: 20110027167
    Abstract: There is provided an iron arsenate powder which is produced from an arsenic containing solution and wherein the concentration of arsenic eluted or released from the powder is very low. The iron arsenate powder is a powder of dihydrate of iron arsenate, which has a crystal structure of rhombic system and which has lattice constants of a=0.8950 to 0.8956 nm, b=1.0321 to 1.0326 nm and c=1.0042 to 1.0050 nm at room temperatures and atmospheric pressure. The iron arsenate powder can be produced by a method comprising the steps of: adding ferrous ions to an arsenic containing solution to cause the molar ratio (Fe/As) of iron to arsenic in the solution to be not lower than 1; adding an oxidizing agent to the solution; heating the solution to a temperature of not lower than 70° C. while stirring the solution, to allow a reaction; and carrying out a solid-liquid separation to wash the obtained solid part.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2008
    Publication date: February 3, 2011
    Applicants: DOWA METALS & MINING CO., LTD., TOHOKU UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Tetsuo Fujita, Takashi Nakamura, Shigeru Suzuki, Kozo Shinoda
  • Publication number: 20110001279
    Abstract: A method for recovering platinum group elements comprises charging into a closed electric furnace and melting, together with flux components and a reducing agent, a platinum group element-containing substance to be processed and a copper source material containing copper oxide, sinking molten metal of primarily metallic copper below a molten slag layer of primarily oxides, and enriching the platinum group elements in the molten metal sunk below, and is characterized in that molten slag whose copper content has decreased to 3.0 wt % or less is discharged from the electric furnace and that the copper source material charged into the electric furnace is a granular copper source material of a grain diameter of not less than 0.1 mm and not greater than 10 mm.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 16, 2010
    Publication date: January 6, 2011
    Applicants: DOWA METALS & MINING CO., LTD., TANAKA KINKINZOKU KOGYO K.K., KOSAKA SMELTING & REFINING CO., LTD., NIPPON PGM CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Koji Yamada, Masahiko OGINO, Nobuyasu EZAWA, Hiroshi INOUE
  • Patent number: 7815706
    Abstract: A method for recovering platinum group elements comprises charging into a closed electric furnace and melting, together with flux components and a reducing agent, a platinum group element-containing substance to be processed and a copper source material containing copper oxide, sinking molten metal of primarily metallic copper below a molten slag layer of primarily oxides, and enriching the platinum group elements in the molten metal sunk below, and is characterized in that molten slag whose copper content has decreased to 3.0 wt % or less is discharged from the electric furnace and that the copper source material charged into the electric furnace is a granular copper source material of a grain diameter of not less than 0.1 mm and not greater than 10 mm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2010
    Assignees: Dowa Metals & Mining Co., Ltd., Tanaka Kikinzoku Kogyo K.K., Kosaka Smelting & Refining Co., Ltd., Nippon PGM Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Koji Yamada, Masahiko Ogino, Nobuyasu Ezawa, Hiroshi Inoue
  • Publication number: 20100215570
    Abstract: To provide a method of generating, with good reproducibility and ease and without complicated operations, scorodite which satisfies the elution standard (in accordance with Notification of No. 13 of Japanese Environment Agency) and which has good filterbility and stability for processing arsenic contained in a non-ferrous smelting intermediate, particularly, for processing a diarsenic trioxide form. A method of processing diarsenic trioxide, including: a leaching step of adding water and alkali to a non-ferrous smelting intermediate that contains diarsenic trioxide to produce slurry, heating the slurry, and leaching arsenic; a solution adjusting step of adding an oxidizing agent to the leachate to oxidize trivalent arsenic to pentavalent arsenic so as to obtain an adjusted solution; and a crystallizing step of converting arsenic in the adjusted solution to scorodite crystal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 11, 2008
    Publication date: August 26, 2010
    Applicant: DOWA METALS & MINING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Mitsuo Abuyima, Yusuke Sato, Hironobu Mikami, Masami Oouchi, Tetsuo Fujita, Masayoshi Matsumoto
  • Publication number: 20100196231
    Abstract: The object is to remove arsenic in a stable form from an arsenic-containing smelting intermediate product. Thus, disclosed is a method for treating an arsenic-containing nonferrous smelting intermediate product, which comprises: a leaching step of subjecting a mixed slurry of a nonferrous smelting intermediate product containing arsenic in the form of a sulfide and a nonferrous smelting intermediate product containing arsenic and metal copper to the oxidation/leaching in an acidic range to produce a leaching solution; a solution preparation step of adding an oxidizing agent to the leaching solution to oxidize trivalent arsenic into pentavalent arsenic, thereby producing a preparation solution; and a crystallization step of converting arsenic contained in the preparation solution into a scorodite crystal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 11, 2008
    Publication date: August 5, 2010
    Applicant: DOWA METALS & MINING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Mitsuo Abumiya, Yusuke Sato, Hironobu Mikami, Masami Oouchi, Tetsuo Fujita, Masayoshi Matsumoto
  • Publication number: 20100196230
    Abstract: Provided is a method of easily producing easily-filterable and stable scorodite that meets the leaching standard (conformance to Japanese Environmental Agency Notice 13) with excellent reproducibility and without using complex operations, when processing arsenic that is included in non-ferrous smelting intermediates, and particularly when processing arsenic in the form of a sulfide. Scorodite is produced by a leaching step of leaching arsenic from a non-ferrous melting intermediate containing arsenic in the weakly acid region, a solution adjusting step of oxidizing trivalent arsenic to pentavalent arsenic by adding an oxidizing agent to the leaching solution, and a crystallizing step of converting the arsenic in the adjusted solution to scorodite crystals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 11, 2008
    Publication date: August 5, 2010
    Applicant: DOWA METALS & MINING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Mitsuo Abumiya, Yusuke Sato, Hironobu Mikami, Masami Oouchi, Tetsuo Fujita, Masayoshi Matsumoto