Patent US3865580A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3865580A
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Copper recovery process
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1973-09-14
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Granted: 1975-02-11
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Expires: 1993-09-14
Abstract
Abstract Copper is recovered from native sources, and scrap sources, by accelerated solution thereof into ammonia plus ammonium carbonate solution with a catalyst which oxidizes copper from copper metal to the cuprous and from the cuprous to the cupric state, the catalyst being chelated iron, which is returned to its effective ferric catalytic state, and maintained in solution as a chelate by the oxidation of the medium in which the solution takes place. Following solution of the copper, recovery can occur in virtually any conventional manner.
Inventors
- 👤 Theodore W Hummel
- 👤 Paul C Schroy
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-07 23:09
CPC Classifications
C; C01; C01G; C01G3/00; C01G3/14; C22; C22B; C22B15/00; C22B15/0063; C22B15/0065; C22B15/0078; Y; Y02; Y02P; Y02P10/00; Y02P10/20; Y10; Y10S; Y10S423/00; Y10S423/09; Y10S423/14
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 34
Claim 1
Independent Claim
21 words
THE METHOD OF EXTRACTING COPPER METAL FROM NATURAL SOURCES CARRYING ELEMENTAL COPPER OR FROM COPPER SCRAP WHICH COMPRISES THE STEPS OF
Claim 2
Independent Claim
21 words
THE METHOD OF EXTRACTING COPPER METAL FROM NATURAL SOURCES CARRYING ELEMENTAL COPPER OR FROM COPPER SCRAP WHICH COMPRISES THE STEPS OF
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
118 words
CONTACTING THE COPPER-BEARING MATERIAL WITH A SOLUTION IN WATER OF A. AMMONIUM CARBONATE IN CONCENTRATION RANGE 10-50 WITH AMMONIA IN RANGE UP TO SATURATION, AND B. 1 - 25 PER CENT OF A WATER SOLUBLE IRON COMPOUND COMPRISING IRON CHELATED WITH A MIXTURE OF FROM 50 TO 90 PARTS OF AN ALIPHATIC POLYHYDROXY MONO-CARBOXYLIC ACIDS, C. FROM 5 TO 25 PARTS OF A HYDROXY-ALKLAMINE POLYCARBOXYLATE AND D. FROM 5 TO 25 PARTS OF A POLYAMINE POLYCARBOXYLATE IN WHICH ALL AMINE HYDROGENS HAVE BEEN REPLACED BY CARBOXYL-CONTAINING ALIPHATIC RADICALS WHICH RETAINS IN SOLUTION BOTH FERROUS AND FERRIC FORM IN THE AMMONIA PLUS AMMONIUM CARBONATE SOLUTION, SAID AMMONIUM CARBONATE SOLUTION BEING HELD AT A PH IN EXCESS OF ABOUT 7,
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
118 words
CONTACTING THE COPPER-BEARING MATERIAL WITH A SOLUTION IN WATER OF A. AMMONIUM CARBONATE IN CONCENTRATION RANGE 10-50 WITH AMMONIA IN RANGE UP TO SATURATION, AND B. 1 - 25 PER CENT OF A WATER SOLUBLE IRON COMPOUND COMPRISING IRON CHELATED WITH A MIXTURE OF FROM 50 TO 90 PARTS OF AN ALIPHATIC POLYHYDROXY MONO-CARBOXYLIC ACIDS, C. FROM 5 TO 25 PARTS OF A HYDROXY-ALKLAMINE POLYCARBOXYLATE AND D. FROM 5 TO 25 PARTS OF A POLYAMINE POLYCARBOXYLATE IN WHICH ALL AMINE HYDROGENS HAVE BEEN REPLACED BY CARBOXYL-CONTAINING ALIPHATIC RADICALS WHICH RETAINS IN SOLUTION BOTH FERROUS AND FERRIC FORM IN THE AMMONIA PLUS AMMONIUM CARBONATE SOLUTION, SAID AMMONIUM CARBONATE SOLUTION BEING HELD AT A PH IN EXCESS OF ABOUT 7,
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
17 words
WHILE MAINTAINING SAID COPPER-BEARING MATERIAL IN CONTACT WITH THE AQUEOUS SOLUTION OF AMMONIUM CARBONATE AND IRON CHELATE,
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
17 words
WHILE MAINTAINING SAID COPPER-BEARING MATERIAL IN CONTACT WITH THE AQUEOUS SOLUTION OF AMMONIUM CARBONATE AND IRON CHELATE,
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
17 words
while maintaining said copper-bearing material in contact with the aqueous solution of ammonium carbonate and iron chelate,
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
17 words
while maintaining said copper-bearing material in contact with the aqueous solution of ammonium carbonate and iron chelate,
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method in accordance with claim 1, comprising spraying said copper-bearing material intermittently with said aqueous solution and simultaneously aerating the wetted material.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
49 words
The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the chelating agent solubilizing the iron is a mixture of alkali metal salts of a monocarboxylic acid of a polyhydric alcohol, a polycarboxylic acid amine, and a polycarboxylic acid amine carrying a hydroxy-alkyl group in place of a carboxylic acid group.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
15 words
contacting said solution with air, or oxygen, to induce aeration of the copper solution interface
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
15 words
contacting said solution with air, or oxygen, to induce aeration of the copper solution interface
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
15 words
CONTACTING SAID SOLUTION WITH AIR, OR OXYGEN, TO INDUCE AERATION OF THE COPPER SOLUTION INTERFACE
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
15 words
CONTACTING SAID SOLUTION WITH AIR, OR OXYGEN, TO INDUCE AERATION OF THE COPPER SOLUTION INTERFACE
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
33 words
RETURNING ANY DRAIN-OFF OF SAID SOLUTION CONTAINING CHELATING AGENT AND AMMONIUM CARBONATE TOGETHER WITH SOLUBILIZED COPPER FROM SAID COPPER-BEARING MATERIAL FOR FURTHER EXTRACTION AND SOLUTION OF COPPER IN THE AMMONIATED AMMONIUM CARBONATE SOLUTION,
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
33 words
RETURNING ANY DRAIN-OFF OF SAID SOLUTION CONTAINING CHELATING AGENT AND AMMONIUM CARBONATE TOGETHER WITH SOLUBILIZED COPPER FROM SAID COPPER-BEARING MATERIAL FOR FURTHER EXTRACTION AND SOLUTION OF COPPER IN THE AMMONIATED AMMONIUM CARBONATE SOLUTION,
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
33 words
returning any drain-off of said solution containing chelating agent aNd ammonium carbonate together with solubilized copper from said copper-bearing material for further extraction and solution of copper in the ammoniated ammonium carbonate solution,
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
33 words
returning any drain-off of said solution containing chelating agent aNd ammonium carbonate together with solubilized copper from said copper-bearing material for further extraction and solution of copper in the ammoniated ammonium carbonate solution,
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method in accordance with claim 1, in which the ammonium carbonate solution carries 1 percent to 5 percent of the iron chelate.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
34 words
The method in accordance with claim 4, wherein the chelating agent which solubilizes the iron is made up of a mutually coordinated mixture of sodium salts of glucoheptonic acid, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid and hydroxyethylenediaminetriacetic acid.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
12 words
thereby to develop a solution of copper approaching saturation as a limit,
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
12 words
thereby to develop a solution of copper approaching saturation as a limit,
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
12 words
THEREBY TO DEVELOP A SOLUTION OF COPPER APPROACHING SATURATION AS A LIMIT,
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
12 words
THEREBY TO DEVELOP A SOLUTION OF COPPER APPROACHING SATURATION AS A LIMIT,
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
12 words
AND ULTIMATELY PASSING THE COPPER IN SOLUTION TO A COPPER RECOVERY STAGE.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
12 words
AND ULTIMATELY PASSING THE COPPER IN SOLUTION TO A COPPER RECOVERY STAGE.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
12 words
and ultimately passing the copper in solution to a copper recovery stage.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
12 words
and ultimately passing the copper in solution to a copper recovery stage.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method in accordance with claim 4, wherein the agent which solubilizes the iron is a mixture of the sodium salts of glucoheptonic acid, ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid and ethanol diglycine.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
33 words
The method in accordance with claim 4, wherein the iron solubilizing agent is made up of a chelating coordinated mixture of the sodium salts of glucoheptonic acid, nitrilo triacetic acid and ethanol diglycine.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
33 words
The method in accordance with claim 4, wherein the iron solubilizing agent is made up of chelating coordinated mixture of the sodium salts of gluconic acid, ethylene diamine tetra-acetic acid and ethanol diglycine.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
33 words
The method in accordance with claim 4, wherein the iron solubilizing agent is made up of a chelating coordinated mixture of the sodium salts of gluconic acid, nitrilo triacetic acid and ethanol diglycine.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
32 words
The method in accordance with claim 4, wherein the iron solubilizing agent is made up of chelating coordinated mixture of the ammonium salts of glucoheptonic acid, nitrilo tri-acetic acid and ethanol diglycine.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
59 words
The method in accordance with claim 4, wherein the iron chelate is a water soluble dry solid prepared by wet mixing iron sulfate with a 30 percent to 60 percent solution of the sodium salts of the mixture of chelating agents, and subsequently drying the iron compound - sodium sulfacte mixture to a powder, or flake, or granular solid.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-02-10 | 1978-08-12 | 1979-02-11 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-02-10 | 1982-08-12 | 1983-02-11 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-02-10 | 1986-08-12 | 1987-02-11 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |