Process of recovering metal values from leach liquors

Claim 1

IN THE PROCESS OF DISSOLVING AND SEPARATING METAL VALUES FROM FINELY GROUND METAL BEARING ORES BY ROASTING WITH A CHLORIDE SALT FOLLOWED BY LIXIVATION OF THE CALCINED CHARGE AND, THEREBY, SOLUTION OF THE METAL VALUES AND, THEREAFTER, PRECIPITATION OF THE METAL VALUES FROMTHE LEACH LIQUOR SO OBTAINED, THE STEPS OF TREATING A LEACH LIQUOR OF SAID PROCESS COMPRISING SULFATES AND CHLORIDES OF IRON, ZINC, COPPER, SILVER, LEAD AND ALKALI METAL WITH A SOLUTION PRODUCED BY COMMINGLING A FLUE GAS CONTAINING CARBON DIOXIDE, AMMONIA GAS AND WATER TO FORM A WATER SOLUTION OF A CARBONATED FORM OF AMMONIA, SAID SOLUTION BEING ADDED IN SUFFICIENT AMOUNT TO PRECIPITATE THE IRON COMPONENT OF THE LEACH LIQUOR AS FERRIC HYDROXIDE, AND SEPARATING SAID PRECIPITATE, COMMUNICATING THE RESIDUAL LEACH LIQUOR WITH HYDROGEN SULFIDE TO PRECIPITATE COPPER, SILVER, LEAD AND OTHER MEMBERS OF THE H2S GROUP, AND SEPARATING THE SULFIDE PRECIPITATE THUS OBTAINED, NEUTRALIZING THE RESIDUAL LEACH LIQUOR WHICH HAS BECOME ACID THROUGH REGENERATION, AND PRECIPITATING THE RESIDENT HEAVY METAL PRESENT THEREIN BY THE ADDITION OF A FURTHER QUANTITY OF THE SAID SOLUTION OF A CARBONATED FROM OF AMMONIA, SEPARATING THE PRECIPITATE PRODUCED THEREBY AND RECOVERING THE FIXED AMMONIA RESIDENT IN THE SAID LEACH LIQUOR BY CRYSTALLIZATION.