Method of treating sulfur bearing mineral values with molten sulfur to concentrate mineral sulfides

Claim 1

A METHOD OF TREATING A MIXTRUE COMPRISING SULFUR IN ASSOCIATION WITH METAL VALUES TO OBTAIN A CONCENTRATE OF METAL VALUES IN PROCESS WHEREIN AN AQUEOUS SLURRY OF SAID MIXTURE IS HEATED TO AN ELEVATED TEMPERATURE ABOVE THE MELTING POINT OF SULFUR TO AGGLOMERATE THE SULFUR AND SAID SLURRY IS COOLED TO SOLIDIFY THE SULFUR AS PELLETS, WHICH COMPRISES: SUBJECTING SAID SLURRY TO SAID ELEVATED TEMPERATURE UNDER CONDITIONS OF TIME AND AGITATION FO FORM LIQUID SULFUR DROPLETS HAVING THEREWITH AN OPTION ASSOCCIATION OF SID METAL VALUES; COOLING TREATED SLURRY AND SEPARATING A SINGLE SOLID PHASE IN THE FORM OF PELLETS COMPRISING SULFUR AND METAL VALUES; DISPERSING SAID PELLETS IN AN AQUEOUS MEDIUM TO FORM A SLURRY; FURNISHING IN SAID SLURRY A MATERIAL WHICH IS CAPABLE OF DEPRESSING SULFIDE MINERALS IN THE FLOTATION OF OXIDIZED MINERALS; HEATING SAID SLURRY TO A TEMPERATURE ABOVE THE MELTING POINT OF SULFUR THEREIN; AGITATING SAID SLURRY AND MAINTAINING SAID TEMPERATURE FOR AT LEAST SUFFICIENT TIME TO SEPARATE SULFUR FROM THE METAL VALUES ASSOCIATED THEREWITH; COOLING SAID TREATED SLURRY TO OBTAIN SULFUR AND METAL VALUES AS SEPARATE SOLID PHASES; AND TREATING SAID COOLED SLURRY TO SEPARATE AND COLLECT A CONCENTRATE OF METAL VALUES.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF TREATING A MIXTRUE COMPRISING SULFUR IN ASSOCIATION WITH METAL VALUES TO OBTAIN A CONCENTRATE OF METAL VALUES IN PROCESS WHEREIN AN AQUEOUS SLURRY OF SAID MIXTURE IS HEATED TO AN ELEVATED TEMPERATURE ABOVE THE MELTING POINT OF SULFUR TO AGGLOMERATE THE SULFUR AND SAID SLURRY IS COOLED TO SOLIDIFY THE SULFUR AS PELLETS, WHICH COMPRISES: SUBJECTING SAID SLURRY TO SAID ELEVATED TEMPERATURE UNDER CONDITIONS OF TIME AND AGITATION FO FORM LIQUID SULFUR DROPLETS HAVING THEREWITH AN OPTION ASSOCCIATION OF SID METAL VALUES; COOLING TREATED SLURRY AND SEPARATING A SINGLE SOLID PHASE IN THE FORM OF PELLETS COMPRISING SULFUR AND METAL VALUES; DISPERSING SAID PELLETS IN AN AQUEOUS MEDIUM TO FORM A SLURRY; FURNISHING IN SAID SLURRY A MATERIAL WHICH IS CAPABLE OF DEPRESSING SULFIDE MINERALS IN THE FLOTATION OF OXIDIZED MINERALS; HEATING SAID SLURRY TO A TEMPERATURE ABOVE THE MELTING POINT OF SULFUR THEREIN; AGITATING SAID SLURRY AND MAINTAINING SAID TEMPERATURE FOR AT LEAST SUFFICIENT TIME TO SEPARATE SULFUR FROM THE METAL VALUES ASSOCIATED THEREWITH; COOLING SAID TREATED SLURRY TO OBTAIN SULFUR AND METAL VALUES AS SEPARATE SOLID PHASES; AND TREATING SAID COOLED SLURRY TO SEPARATE AND COLLECT A CONCENTRATE OF METAL VALUES.