Patents by Inventor Garry Mervyn Johnston
Garry Mervyn Johnston has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 10590512Abstract: A method for leaching copper from an oxidized copper ore, wherein at least 5% of the copper present in the oxidized copper ore is an oxidized copper compound, the method comprising the method steps of: applying an aqueous solution of a curing agent to the oxidized copper ore to produce a cured ore; forming a leach solution by applying an ammoniacal solution that has an ammonium carbonate content of less than 5 g/L to the cured ore to produce a pregnant leach solution containing copper; and passing the pregnant leach solution to a means for recovering copper.Type: GrantFiled: May 28, 2015Date of Patent: March 17, 2020Assignee: METALEACH LIMITEDInventors: Matthew Leslie Sutcliffe, Garry Mervyn Johnston, Nicholas James Welham
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Patent number: 9771631Abstract: A method for leaching one or more target metals from a sulfide ore and/or concentrate containing such, the method comprising the steps of: (a) Exposing the ore and/or concentrate to an aqueous solution of chlorine-based oxidising species in which the hypochlorous acid comprises at least 10 mol % of the chlorine-based oxidising species; (b) Allowing and/or facilitating the oxidation of the target metals by the hypochlorous acid, thereby decreasing the pH such that the predominant chlorine-based oxidising species becomes chlorine; (c) Allowing and/or facilitating the oxidation of the target metals by the chlorine; (d) Allowing and/or facilitating the dissolution of the target metals by the solution species formed during the oxidation by hypochlorous acid and/or chlorine; and (e) Passing the pregnant solution produced thereby to a means for metal recovery.Type: GrantFiled: May 26, 2010Date of Patent: September 26, 2017Assignee: METALEACH LIMITEDInventors: Nicholas James Welham, Garry Mervyn Johnston, Matthew Leslie Sutcliffe
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Publication number: 20170191144Abstract: In accordance with the present invention there is provided a method for leaching copper from a oxidised copper ore, wherein at least 5% of the copper present in the oxidised copper ore is an oxidised copper compound, the method comprising the method steps of: applying an aqueous solution of a curing agent to the oxidised copper ore, producing a cured ore; forming a leach solution by applying an ammoniacal solution that has an ammonium carbonate content of less than 20 g/L to the cured ore, producing a pregnant leach solution containing copper; and passing the pregnant leach solution to a means for recovering copper.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 28, 2015Publication date: July 6, 2017Inventors: Matthew Leslie SUTCLIFFE, Garry Mervyn JOHNSTON, Nicholas James WELHAM
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Patent number: 9057119Abstract: A method for leaching molybdenum and/or rhenium from a sulfide ore and/or concentrate containing such, the method comprising the steps of: Exposing the ore and/or concentrate to an aqueous solution of chlorine-based oxidizing species in which the sum of the concentrations of hypochlorite and hypochlorous acid is at least 10 mol % of the chlorine-based oxidizing species; Allowing and/or facilitating the oxidation of the molybdenum and/or rhenium by the hypochlorite and/or hypochlorous acid, thereby decreasing the pH such that the predominant chlorine-based oxidizing species becomes chlorine; Allowing and/or facilitating the oxidation of the molybdenum and/or rhenium by the chlorine thereby producing a pregnant leach solution; and Passing the pregnant leach solution to a means for metal recovery.Type: GrantFiled: March 3, 2011Date of Patent: June 16, 2015Assignee: Metaleach LimitedInventors: Matthew Leslie Sutcliffe, Garry Mervyn Johnston, Nicholas James Welham
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Patent number: 9011574Abstract: A method for leaching copper and molybdenum from an ore, residue and/or concentrate containing such, in which more than 1% w/w of the total molybdenum is present as a sulfide and in which more than 1% w/w of the total copper is present as an oxide, the method comprising the steps of: exposing the ore, residue and/or concentrate to an aqueous solution of chlorine (I)-based oxidizing species of a pH of at least 3.0; oxidizing the molybdenum by the chlorine-based oxidizing species thereby providing a treated ore, residue and/or concentrate and a reduced aqueous solution of chlorine-based oxidizing species; leaching the treated ore, residue and/or concentrate by exposing the treated ore, residue and/or concentrate to an aqueous ammoniacal ammonium carbonate solution to form a pregnant leach solution containing both copper and molybdenum; and passing the pregnant leach solution containing both copper and molybdenum to a means for metal recovery.Type: GrantFiled: August 29, 2011Date of Patent: April 21, 2015Assignee: MetaLeach LimitedInventors: Nicholas James Welham, Garry Mervyn Johnston, Matthew Leslie Sutcliffe
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Patent number: 8871001Abstract: A method for leaching zinc from a zinc-bearing carbonate ore, the method comprising the steps of: subjecting the zinc-bearing carbonate ore to elevated temperatures of between about 300° C. and about 900° C. thereby producing a roasted ore; subjecting the roasted ore to an aqueous acid or alkali leach thereby producing an aqueous zinc solution; and subjecting the aqueous zinc solution to a zinc recovery step.Type: GrantFiled: February 19, 2010Date of Patent: October 28, 2014Assignee: Metaleach LimitedInventors: Matthew Leslie Sutcliffe, Garry Mervyn Johnston, Nicholas James Welham
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Publication number: 20130220078Abstract: A method for leaching copper and molybdenum from an ore, residue and/or concentrate containing such, in which more than 1% of the total molybdenum is present as a sulfide and in which more than 1% of the total copper is present as an oxide, the method comprising the steps of: Exposing the ore, residue and/or concentrate to an aqueous solution of chlorine (I)-based oxidising species of a p H of at least 3.0; Allowing and/or facilitating the oxidation of the molybdenum by the chlorine-based oxidising species thereby providing a treated ore, residue and/or concentrate and a reduced aqueous solution of chlorine-based oxidising species; and Leaching the treated ore, residue and/or concentrate by exposing the treated ore, residue and/or concentrate to an aqueous ammoniacal ammonium carbonate solution to form a pregnant leach solution containing both copper and molybdenum; Passing the pregnant leach solution containing both copper and molybdenum to a means for metal recovery.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 29, 2011Publication date: August 29, 2013Applicant: METALEACH LIMITEDInventors: Nicholas James Welham, Garry Mervyn Johnston, Matthew Leslie Sutcliffe
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Patent number: 8486355Abstract: A method for leaching cobalt from a non-lateritic oxidized cobalt ore, the method comprising the method steps of: curing the non-lateritic oxidized cobalt ore to be leached through the application of an aqueous solution of a cobalt reducing agent selected from the group: iron (II) salts, sulfite salts, sulfur dioxide, and combinations thereof; at a pressure of between about atmospheric pressure and about 5 atmospheres, at a temperature between about 5° C. and about 65° C.; wherein the pH of the aqueous solution of the cobalt reducing agent is between about 1.0 and 10.Type: GrantFiled: August 6, 2010Date of Patent: July 16, 2013Assignee: Metaleach LimitedInventors: Matthew Leslie Sutcliffe, Garry Mervyn Johnston, Nicholas James Welham
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Publication number: 20130133485Abstract: A method for leaching molybdenum and/or rhenium from a sulfide ore and/or concentrate containing such, the method comprising the steps of: Exposing the ore and/or concentrate to an aqueous solution of chlorine-based oxidising species in which the sum of the concentrations of hypochlorite and hypochlorous acid is at least 10 mol % of the chlorine-based oxidising species; Allowing and/or facilitating the oxidation of the molybdenum and/or rhenium by the hypochlorite and/or hypochlorous acid, thereby decreasing the pH such that the predominant chlorine-based oxidising species becomes chlorine; Allowing and/or facilitating the oxidation of the molybdenum and/or rhenium by the chlorine thereby producing a pregnant leach solution; and Passing the pregnant leach solution to a means for metal recovery.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 3, 2011Publication date: May 30, 2013Applicant: METALEACH LIMITEDInventors: Matthew Leslie Sutcliffe, Garry Mervyn Johnston, Nicholas James Welham
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Publication number: 20130025412Abstract: A method for leaching zinc from a zinc-bearing carbonate ore, the method comprising the steps of: subjecting the zinc-bearing carbonate ore to elevated temperatures of between about 300° C. and about 900° C. thereby producing a roasted ore; subjecting the roasted ore to an aqueous acid or alkali leach thereby producing an aqueous zinc solution; and subjecting the aqueous zinc solution to a zinc recovery step.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 19, 2010Publication date: January 31, 2013Applicant: Metaleach LimitedInventors: Matthew Leslie Sutcliffe, Garry Mervyn Johnston, Nicholas James Welham
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Patent number: 8323596Abstract: A method for extracting zinc from an aqueous ammoniacal zinc solution containing impurities, the method comprising the steps of: (i) contacting the aqueous ammoniacal zinc solution containing impurities with an organic phase comprising an ammonium salt of an organic extractant dissolved in a hydrophobic diluent, allowing transfer of the zinc to the organic phase and transfer of ammonium to the aqueous phase, thereby providing a zinc-enriched, ammonium-depleted organic phase and an ammonium-enriched, zinc-depleted aqueous phase containing impurities; (ii) separating the zinc-enriched, ammonium-depleted organic phase from the ammonium-enriched, zinc-depleted aqueous phase containing impurities; (iii) contacting the zinc-enriched, ammonium-depleted organic phase with an aqueous solution containing positively charged species, allowing transfer of the zinc from the organic phase and transfer of positively charged species from the aqueous phase, thereby providing an aqueous zinc solution and an organic phase conType: GrantFiled: December 22, 2009Date of Patent: December 4, 2012Assignee: Metaleach LimitedInventors: Garry Mervyn Johnston, Matthew Leslie Sutcliffe, Nicholas James Welham
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Publication number: 20120244051Abstract: A method for leaching cobalt from a non-lateritic oxidised cobalt ore, the method comprising the method steps of: curing the non-lateritic oxidised cobalt ore to be leached through the application of an aqueous solution of a cobalt reducing agent selected from the group: iron (II) salts, sulfite salts, sulfur dioxide, and combinations thereof; at a pressure of between about atmospheric pressure and about 5 atmospheres, at a temperature between about 5° C. and about 65° C.; wherein the pH of the aqueous solution of the cobalt reducing agent is between about 1.0 and 10.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 6, 2010Publication date: September 27, 2012Applicant: METALEACH LIMITEDInventors: Matthew Leslie Sutcliffe, Garry Mervyn Johnston, Nicholas James Welham
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Publication number: 20120103138Abstract: A method for leaching one or more target metals from a sulfide ore and/or concentrate containing such, the method comprising the steps of: (a) Exposing the ore and/or concentrate to an aqueous solution of chlorine-based oxidising species in which the hypochlorous acid comprises at least 10 mol % of the chlorine-based oxidising species; (b) Allowing and/or facilitating the oxidation of the target metals by the hypochlorous acid, thereby decreasing the pH such that the predominant chlorine-based oxidising species becomes chlorine; (c) Allowing and/or facilitating the oxidation of the target metals by the chlorine; (d) Allowing and/or facilitating the dissolution of the target metals by the solution species formed during the oxidation by hypochlorous acid and/or chlorine; and (e) Passing the pregnant solution produced thereby to a means for metal recovery.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 26, 2010Publication date: May 3, 2012Applicant: METALEACH LIMITEDInventors: Nicholas James Welham, Garry Mervyn Johnston, Matthew Leslie Sutcliffe
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Publication number: 20110293493Abstract: A method for extracting zinc from an aqueous ammoniacal zinc solution containing impurities, the method comprising the steps of: (i) contacting the aqueous ammoniacal zinc solution containing impurities with an organic phase comprising an ammonium salt of an organic extractant dissolved in a hydrophobic diluent, allowing transfer of the zinc to the organic phase and transfer of ammonium to the aqueous phase, thereby providing a zinc-enriched, ammonium-depleted organic phase and an ammonium-enriched, zinc-depleted aqueous phase containing impurities; (ii) separating the zinc-enriched, ammonium-depleted organic phase from the ammonium-enriched, zinc-depleted aqueous phase containing impurities; (iii) contacting the zinc-enriched, ammonium-depleted organic phase with an aqueous solution containing positively charged species, allowing transfer of the zinc from the organic phase and transfer of positively charged species from the aqueous phase, thereby providing an aqueous zinc solution and an organic phase contaiType: ApplicationFiled: December 22, 2009Publication date: December 1, 2011Applicant: METALEACH LIMITEDInventors: Garry Mervyn Johnston, Matthew Leslie Sutcliffe, Nicholas James Welham