Abstract: The scarcity of high grade tungsten ores obliges users to seek to recover it from scrap materials, but drill bits in particular pose special problems. Existing proposals to use acidic hydrogen peroxide to oxidize and solubilize tungsten are extremely inefficient in reagent consumption per unit tungsten recovered.According to the present invention hydrogen peroxide can be used considerably more efficiently with sub-stoichiometric reagent addition per stage, especially from 6 to 12 stages and by the use of a small amount of certain promoters which it is believed may form a water-soluble complex with tungsten which provides an alternative route for tungsten dissolution. Many of the promoters are aromatic hydroxyl or amino acids such as 2-hydroxybenzoic acid, 2-aminobenzoic acid, 4-hydroxybenzene-phenol and its related oxidation products such as 1,4-benzoquinone. Also, certain aliphatic acids such as tartaric and epoxy succinic acid show some promotional activity.

Abstract: The scarcity of high grade tungsten ores obliges users to seek to recover it from scrap materials, but drill bits in particular pose especial problems. Existing proposals to use acidic hydrogen peroxide to oxides and solubilize tungsten is extremely inefficient in reagent consumption per unit tungsten recovered.According to the present invention, hydrogen peroxide can be used considerably more efficiently in the extraction of tungsten into an aqueous acidic solution by employing certain promoters which are solid at 50.degree. C. in the form of fused blocks. These blocks release the promoter slowly into the reaction solution and achieve similar efficiency of use of hydrogen peroxide and acid but at markedly reduced consumption of promoter in comparison with the same promoter added in powder or granular form. Examples of such promoter are hydroxy or amino substituted aromatic carboxylic acids e.g. 2-hydroxybenzoic acid. The promoters can most conveniently be used in a multi-stage tungsten extraction process.

Abstract: Tungsten can be extracted into solution from tungsten carbide powder residues with aqueous hydrogen peroxide to a greater extent by employing in solution a catalytic quantity of hydrochloric acid, such as a mole ratio to the tungsten preferably in the range of at least 0.1:1 moles of HCl per mole tungsten, and often up to about 2.5 moles of HCl per mole of tungsten at 55.degree. to 85.degree. C. The selection of the mole ratio in practice usually takes into account the grade of tungsten carbide starting material. It is very preferable to use at least 7 moles hydrogen peroxide per mole of tungsten and an extraction temperature of 65.degree. to 75.degree. C.

Abstract: Various metals including cobalt nickel and copper can be recovered from a roasted ground ore or waste and particularly from tailings of a pyritic gold ore by leaching with sulphuric acid, oxidizing the separated leach liquor, filtering and partially neutralizing the liquor. In an improved process, the oxidation is effected with peroxomonosulphuric acid and the neutralization with a 60:40 to 40:60 mixture of calcium and sodium hydroxide/oxide. By so doing, it is possible to minimize the number of process stages by elimination of either or both solid/liquid separations and to combine the leach and oxidation stage, or to improve the separation of metals from impurities.