Process for the recovery of metals from sulfide ores through electrolytic dissociation of the sulfides

Abstract

Abstract A POLLUTION-FREE PROCESS FOR THE ELECTROLYTIC DISSOCIATION OF SULFIDE ORES OF THE METALS OF GROUPS I-B, II-B, IV-A, V-A, VI-A AND VIII OF THE PERIODIC TABLE IN AQUEOUS ACIDIC MEDIA WITH THE FORMATION OF METAL IONS AND ELEMENTAL SULFUR FOLLOWED BY RECOVERY OF THE METAL IONS FROM SOLUTION IN THE ELECTROLYTE MEDIA, THE PROCESS CHARACTERIZED BY CERTAIN PROCESS CONDITIONS, THESE BEING THE USE OF: (1) AN ELECTROLYTE COMPRISING A SOLUBLE METAL CHLORIDE SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF SOLUBLE CHLORIDES OF ALUMINUM, CHROMIUM, COPPER, IRON, MANGANESE, NICKEL, ZINC AND RARE EARTH METALS ALONE OR MIXED OR IN COMBINATION WITH ALKALI METAL AND/OR ALKALINE EARTH METAL CHLORIDES, THE ELECTROLYTE BEING AT LEAST .5 MORMAL IN CHLORIDE ION, (2) A SULFIDE FEED OF AVERAGE PARTICLES SIZE SMALLER THAN ABOUT 60 MESH U.S. STANDARD, (3) A PH RANGE OF UP TO ABOUT 3.9, 74) AN ELECTROLYTE TEMPERATURE RANGE BETWEEN ABOUT 50*C.-105*C., AND (5) AN ANODE CURRENT DENSITY ABOVE ABOUT 12 AMPERE/ FT.2.

Inventors

• 👤 P Kruesi
• 👤 D Goens

Bibliographic Details