Recovery of cu and ni from flotation concentrate

Claim 2

IN TREATING COPPER-BEARING MINERALS MIXTURES CONTAINING AT LEAST ONE ADDITIONAL "METAL"BEARING MINERAL, SAID "METAL" BEING SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF NICKEL, COBALT, AND MIXTURES THEREOF, AT LEAST A PART OF SAID MINERALS BEING SULFIDES, BY SUBJECTING THE MIXTURE TO AN ACIDIC OXIDATION LEACH IN THE PRESENCE OF FERRIC SULFATE TO OBTAIN A SOLUTION OF SOLUBLE COPPER AND "METAL" SULFATES, THE IMPROVED PROCEDURE FOR ELIMINATING IRON FROM SAID SOLUTION WHICH COM-PPRISES THE STEPS OF: CONDUCTING SAID ACIDIC OXIDATION LEACHING; SUBJECTING THE RESULTANT SLURRY TO AN ADDITIONAL OXIDATION LEACH IN THE PRESENCE OFF OXIDIZABLE SULFIDES; DURING SAID ADDITIONAL LEACHING, INTRODUCING AMMONIA INTO THE LIQUOR IN ONLY SUFFICIENT AMOUNT TO CONVERT SUBSTANTIALLY ALL THE DISSOLVED IRON SULFATES INTO INSOLUBLE FERRIC HYDROXIDE, AND FILTERING THE RESULTANT SLURRY, WHEREBY SUBSTANTIALLY ALL THE IRON IN THE SLURRY IS REMOVED IN THE PRESSCAKE.

Claim 3

IN TREATING COOPER-BEARING MINERALS MIXTURES CONTAINING AT LEAST ONE ADDITIONAL "METAL"BEARING MINERAL, SAID "METAL" BEING SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF NICKEL, COBALT, AND MIXTURES THEREOF, AT LEAST A PART OF SAID MINERALS BEING SULFIDES, BY SUBJECTING THE MIXTURETO AN ACIDIC OXIDATION LEACH IN THE PRESENCE OF FERRIC SULFATE TO OBTAIN A SOLUTION OF SOLUBLE COPPER AND "METAL" SULFATE, THE IMPROVED PROCEDURE FOR ELIMINATION IRON AND ''METAL" FROM SAID SOLUTION, WHICH COMPRISES THE STEPS OF: CONDUCTING SAID ACIDIC OXIDATION LEACHING; SUBJECTING THE RESULTANT SLURRY TO AN ADDITIONAL OXIDATION LEACH IN THE PRESENCE OF OXIDIZABLE SULFIDES; DURING SAID ADDITIONAL LEACHING, INTRODUCING AMMONIA INTO THE LIQUOR IN ONLY SUFFICIENT AMOUNT TO CONVERT SUBSTANTIALLY ALL THE DISSOLVED IRON SULFATES INTO INSOLUBLE FERRIC HYDROXIDE; FILTERING THE RESULTANT SLURRY, WHEREBY SUBSTANTIALLY ALL THE IRON IN THE SLURRY IS REMOVED IN THE PRESSCAKE; ADDING TO THE FILTRATE AMMONIUM SULFATE AND ADDITIONAL AMMONIA IN SUFFICIENT AMOUNTS TO PRODUCE IN THE SOLUTION AN AMMONIUM SULFATE CONCENTRATION OF AT LEAST 9% AND SUFFICIENT DILUENT TO PRODUCE A COPPER CONCENTRATION NOT EXCEEDING THE SOLUBILITY OF COPPER SULFATE AT THE AMMONIUM SULFATE CONCENTRATION, WHEREBY DISSOLVED "METAL" SULFATE IS CONVERTED TO AND PRECIPITATED AS INSOLUBLE "METAL"-AMMONIUM SULFATE DOUBLE SALT, BUT ANY COPPER SULFATE REMAINS DISSOLVED, AND COLLECTING THE PRECIPITATED "METAL"-AMMONIUM SULFATE DOUBLE SALT.

Claim 4

IN TREATING COOPER-BEARING MINERALS MIXTURES CONTAINING AT LEAST ONE ADDITIONAL "METAL"BEARING MINERAL, SAID "METAL" BEING SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF NICKEL, COBALT, AND MIXTURES THEREOF, AT LEAST A PART OF SAID MINERALS BEING SULFIDES, BY SUBJECTING THE MIXTURETO AN ACIDIC OXIDATION LEACH IN THE PRESENCE OF FERRIC SULFATE TO OBTAIN A SOLUTION OF SOLUBLE COPPER AND "METAL" SULFATE, THE IMPROVED PROCEDURE FOR ELIMINATION IRON AND ''METAL" FROM SAID SOLUTION, WHICH COMPRISES THE STEPS OF: CONDUCTING SAID ACIDIC OXIDATION LEACHING; SUBJECTING THE RESULTANT SLURRY TO AN ADDITIONAL OXIDATION LEACH IN THE PRESENCE OF OXIDIZABLE SULFIDES; DURING SAID ADDITIONAL LEACHING, INTRODUCING AMMONIA INTO THE LIQUOR IN ONLY SUFFICIENT AMOUNT TO CONVERT SUBSTANTIALLY ALL THE DISSOLVED IRON SULFATES INTO INSOLUBLE FERRIC HYDROXIDE; FILTERING THE RESULTANT SLURRY, WHEREBY SUBSTANTIALLY ALL THE IRON IN THE SLURRY IS REMOVED IN THE PRESSCAKE; ADDING TO THE FILTRATE AMMONIUM SULFATE AND ADDITIONAL AMMONIA IN SUFFICIENT AMOUNTS TO PRODUCE IN THE SOLUTION AN AMMONIUM SULFATE CONCENTRATION OF AT LEAST 9% AND SUFFICIENT DILUENT TO PRODUCE A COPPER CONCENTRATION NOT EXCEEDING THE SOLUBILITY OF COPPER SULFATE AT THE AMMONIUM SULFATE CONCENTRATION, WHEREBY DISSOLVED "METAL" SULFATE IS CONVERTED TO AND PRECIPITATED AS INSOLUBLE "METAL"-AMMONIUM SULFATE DOUBLE SALT, BUT ANY COPPER SULFATE REMAINS DISSOLVED, AND COLLECTING THE PRECIPITATED "METAL"-AMMONIUM SULFATE DOUBLE SALT.