Direct recovery of metals from sulphide ores by leaching and electrolysis

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR THE DIRECT RECOVERY OF COPPER FROM ITS ORES AND CONCENTRATES WHICHCOMPRISING AGITATING A SLURRY OF FINELY GROUND COPPER SULFIDE-CONTAINING ORE OR CONCENTRATE IN A SOLUTION OF FERRIC CHLORIDE AND HYDROCHLORIC ACID IN THE ANODE COMPARTMENT OF AN ELECTROLYTIC CELL, SAID CELL HAVING FIRST AND SECOND CATHODE COMPARTMENTS AND AN ANODE COMPARTMENT, THE CATHODE COMPARTMENTS BEING SEPARATED FROM THE ANODE COMPARTMENT BY DIAPHRAGMS PREVENTING THE MOVEMENT OF SOLIDS AND LIQUIDS BUT ALLOWING THE PASSAGE OF IONS THERETHROUGH, REMOVING AND FILTERING THE LEACHED SLURRY TO REMOVE SULFUR-CONTAINING SOLIDS THEREFROM AND LEAVING A FILTRATE CONTAINING CUPROUS CHLORIDE AND FERROUS CHLORIDE, FEEDING THE FILTRATE TO THE FIRST CATHODE COMPARTMENT IN THE CELL AND DEPOSITING COPPER METAL FROM THE FILTRATE ON TO A FIRST CATHODE RELEASING CHLORIDE IONS IN THE FIRST CATHODE COMPARTMENT AND FORMING A COPPER-POOR SPENT ELECTROLYTE, SUBSTANTIALLY ELIMINATING RESIDUAL COPPER AND ANY FERRIC IRON FROM THE COPPERKPOOR ELECTROLYTE TO FORM A SLUTION CONTAINING FERROUS CHLORIDE, FEEDING THE FERROUS CHLORIDE SOLUTION TO THE SECOND CATHODE COMPARTMENT IN THE CELL, DEPOSITING IRON METAL FROM THE SOLUTION ON TO A SECOND CATHODE, FROMING AN IRON-POOR SPENT ELECTROLYTE AND RELEASING CHLORIDE IONS IN THE SECOND CATHODE COMPARTMENT, THE CHLORIDE IONS RELEASED IN THE CATHODE COMPARTMENTS MIGRATING THEREFROM TO THE ANODE COMPARTMENT TO BE LIBERATED AS CHLORINE GAS AT THE ANODE, OXIDIZING FERROUS IRON WITH SAID CHLORINE GAS IN THE ANODE COMPARTMENT, RETURNING THE IRON-POOR ELECTROLYTE TO THE ANODE COMPARTMENT, RECOVERING COPPER METAL FROM THE FIRST CATHOE AND RECOVERING IRON METAL FROM THE SECOND CATHODE.