Abstract: Copper and silver are recovered from complex sulfide ores or concentrates containing, in addition, metals such as lead, zinc, arsenic, antimony, and iron by leaching with a combination of ferrous chloride and oxygen.

Abstract: Ocean floor nodules are treated with halogenating agents to produce a pregnant leach solution which is subjected to selective solvent extraction to isolate metal values contained in the ore.

Abstract: Metal values are extracted from manganiferous ocean floor nodule ore by treating the ore with hydrochloric acid, thereby producing chlorine and a starting pulp containing a solution of the metal chlorides and a solid residue. The starting pulp is subjected to at least two subsequent acidifications with HCl, each acidification being followed by addition of fresh ore, thereby producing chlorine and a final pulp containing a concentrated solution of metal chlorides and a solid residue. The solid residue is separated from the concentrated solution and substantially all the metal values, except manganese and alkali and alkaline earth metals, are separated from the solution. The manganese is separated from the solution by treatment with chlorine, at least the major portion of which was produced in the preceding leaching steps, while maintaining the solution at a pH of between about 3 and 7 by addition of a neutralizing agent such as MgO or Mg(OH).sub.2 whereby the manganese is precipitated in the form of MnO.sub.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for obtaining electrolytic copper from copper-bearing ores which involves (a) lixiviating a sulphurized copper concentrate with an aqueous solution containing cupric chloride; (b) separating the solution resulting from the lixiviation stage (a) into two parts, one of said parts, containing at least 1 gram of cuprous ions per liter and at least 2 grams of ferrous ions per liter, being subjected to oxidation by air at atmospheric pressure, at a pH value between 1 and 3, and at a temperature above 90.degree. C.

Abstract: An improvement in conventional processes for recovering metal values from sulfide ores containing lead, zinc and silver sulfides in which process the metal sulfides are converted to chlorides by chlorination followed by solubilization of the chlorides with a sodium chloride leach and subsequent recovery of the metals from their chlorides in accordance with a conventional flow sheet including crystallization, cementation, precipitation, fused salt electrolysis, etc., with chlorine being recovered for reuse by electrolysis of the sodium chloride leach solution substantially depleted of lead, silver and zinc, the improvement being a pollution-free process which comprises:1. recycling the sodium chloride solution depleted of a major percentage of lead and silver to the sodium chloride or brine leaching step; and2.

Abstract: This invention provides a process for separating the halide of cobalt, and optionally nickel, from a pregnant aqueous solution, the aqueous solution also containing a manganese halide. The process comprises initially extracting the cobalt halide and a portion of any manganese halide which is present into an organic extract. The nickel halide is then separately extracted from the solution. The manganese halide is preliminarily preferentially stripped from the organic extract containing cobalt and manganese utilizing an aqueous solution comprising halide ions. The cobalt halide in the extract can then be stripped into an aqueous solution together with the remaining manganese to form a strip solution. The manganese is then preferentially extracted from the strip solution, leaving a manganese-free, substantially pure cobalt solution. Any nickel can be selectively extracted from the manganese remaining in the pregnant solution.

Abstract: A process is disclosed for separating cuprous chloride from a solution comprising cuprous chloride and at least one metal chloride compatible with the solubility of cuprous chloride, the process comprising crystallizing the cuprous chloride from the solution in the presence of cupric chloride in an amount such that the cupric chloride to compatible metal chloride mole ratio is at least about 0.1.

Abstract: Gold is recovered from gold bearing materials by dissolving gold in an iodide-iodine solution, precipitating gold with a reducing solution, removing the precipitated gold and then regenerating the iodide-iodine solution with an oxidizing agent.

Abstract: Ocean floor nodules are treated with aqueous hydrogen halide to produce a pregnant leach solution which is subjected to selective solvent extraction to isolate metal values contained in the ore.