Process for total treatment of copper-containing iron pyrites

Claim 1

A PROCESS OF TREATING AN IRON ORE COMPRISING SULPHUR AND CONTAINING VALUABLE METAL CONSTITUENTS INCLUDING COPPER, WHICH INCLUDES THE STEPS OF (A) HEATING THE ORE UNDER NON-OXIDIZING CONDITIONS TO A TEMPERATURE BELOW SINTERIN TEMPERATURES OF THE ORE SO AS TO DECOMPOSE SAID ORE AND PRODUCE GAEOUS SULPHUR, LEAVING A POROUS CALCINED PRODUCT WITH SUBSTANTIALLY ALL OF THE ORIGINAL FES2 PRESENT REDUCED TO FES, (B) DISSOLVING THE MAJOR PART OF TH IRON CONTENT OF SAID CALCINED PRODUCT SELECTIVELY BE LEACHING FRACTIONAL PORTIONS OF SAID CALCINED PRODUCT WITH DILUTE SULPHURIC ACID SOLUTION, LEAVING UNDISSOLVED THE MAJOR PART OF THE COPPEER AND OTHER OF SAID VALUABLE MIXTURE COMPRISING FERROUS SULING A RESULTANT MIXTURE COMPRISING FERROUS SUL PHATE SOLUTION, GASEOUS HYDROGEN SULPHIDE, AND A SLUDGE CONTAINING UNDISSOLVED SOLID MATTER, AND (C) TO PRODUCE GASEOUS SULPHUR DIOXIDE AND EFFECT RECOVERY OF SAID VALUABLE METAL CONSTITUENTS, AND RECOVER METALLIC IRON AND SULPHURIC ACID AND GASEOUS OXYGEN, (D) SUBJECTING SAID SLUDGE TO A ROASTING TREATMENT WITH OXYGEN DIOXIDE BY STEP (C) TO PRODUCT GASEOUS SULPHR DIOXIDE AND EFFECT RECOVERY OF SAID VALUABLE METAL CONSTITUENTS, AND (E) REACTING SAID SULPHUR DIOXIDE WITH GASEOUS HYDROGEN SULPHIDE FROM SAID MIXURE IN THE PRESENCE OF A CATALYST FOR FORMING LIQUID SULPHUR AND STEAM.