MXPA05011097A - A solvent extraction process - Google Patents

Abstract

A solvent extraction process is disclosed. The process includes using an organic solvent that contains a non-ionic extractant and a conductivity enhancer that increases the electrical conductivity of the solvent to reduce build-up of static electricity in the process and thereby reduce the electrostatic discharge hazard of the solvent to an adequate fire safety level.

Description

PROCESS FOR THE EXTRACTION OF SOLVENT FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to the use of modifiers, enhancers or conductivity enhancers, mentioned later as "improvers", in the solvent extraction processes. The present invention relates particularly, but not exclusively, to the use of conductivity improvers in solvent extraction processes for the extraction of metals, including, but not limited to copper, nickel and cobalt, from an aqueous medium that uses nonionic extraction agents and combustible solvents. The present invention relates more particularly, although not exclusively, to the use of conductivity improvers in solvent extraction processes for the extraction of copper from an aqueous medium. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Large industrial processing facilities, for example, solvent extraction plants, can be too dangerous because of their size and complexity and the nature of the materials used in the plants. Fire is a typical hazard in industrial processing facilities and a plant's fire safety levels can vary dramatically as REF .: 167733 result of a uniform and small change in one or more stages in a process. A small change can also have unpredictable consequences downstream. These factors make it very difficult to guarantee fire safety that is adequate at all stages in a large processing plant. Also, there can be many potential causes of fire, and merely recognizing one or more of these is a problem in itself. In basic terms, a solvent extraction process as the term is used herein, is a process in which an aqueous medium containing one or more metals in solution, is contacted with an organic solvent containing an agent of dissolved extraction to produce an emulsion. After the extraction of a specific metal from the aqueous medium in the solvent phase has been carried out, the aqueous and solvent phases are separated using large settling tanks. Subsequently, the specific metal is dragged from the solvent phase. Usually, the solvent phase is reused in the process. Typically, solvent extraction plants include long trajectories of working pipes having a range of liquids including an organic solvent, solvent containing an extraction agent and aqueous solutions. This range of liquids in long working pipe paths is difficult to monitor to recognize any change that probably increases the potential for a fire. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention is based on the realization that the accumulation and discharge of static electricity in a solvent extraction process is a cause of fires in solvent extraction plants operating with non-ionic extraction agents and solvents at temperatures well below the flash points of the solvents.

The present invention is also based on the realization that it is possible to minimize the accumulation and discharge of static electricity by the addition of conductivity improvers to liquids in a solvent extraction process, without adversely affecting the performance of the process of solvent extraction. Therefore, in general terms, the present invention provides a solvent extraction process that includes operating the process using an organic solvent containing a non-ionic extraction agent and a conductivity improver that increases the electrical conductivity of the solvent, to reduce the accumulation of static electricity in the process and in this way, reduce the risk of electrostatic discharge of the solvent to an adequate level of fire safety.

Also, in general terms, the present invention provides an organic solvent that includes a conductivity improver for use in the solvent extraction process described above. The present invention relates particularly to solvent extraction processes for metals, such as copper, which use non-ionic extraction agents and combustible solvents. The term "conductivity improver" is understood herein as a reagent that can improve the conductivity of a solvent. The present invention was made during the course of an existing research program in a copper solvent extraction plant operating using a narrow kerosene as the solvent, at the applicant's Olympic Dam mine. The research program has included tests in a laboratory bench and a continuous mini-pilot plant test. The term "narrow-cut kerosene" is understood herein as a petroleum-derived hydrocarbon solvent containing a mixture of aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons usually in the range of C 10 -C 12. Narrow-cut kerosene is flammable in the range of 0.7 to 6.0% by volume with air, has a relatively high flash point (usually greater than 75 ° C) and a relatively high boiling point (usually greater than 195 ° C). Kerosene is a common solvent, which is stable under the conditions of normal use and is used in a variety of domestic and industrial applications. These applications range from small lamps and heaters to large-scale mining processes. Because of its relatively high flash point, narrow kerosene is defined as a combustible solvent instead of a flammable solvent. Based on the above properties, it is not immediately evident that the electrostatic ignition of narrow-cut kerosene would be a potential cause of fire in a solvent extraction plant operating with narrow-cut kerosene. The research program included a series of solvent ignition tests at the University of Southampton. The purpose of the tests was to determine the electrostatic ignition properties of narrow-cut kerosene at temperatures likely to occur in a copper solvent extraction process operated by the applicant at Olymplic Dam. The tests were restricted to the conditions and possible configurations in the process of extracting copper solvent in Olympic Dam. These conditions were partially simulated using a polyethylene pipe of 600 nm in diameter, various types of electrostatic discharge including (a) effluvium, (b) effluvium propagation and (c) ) Spark and various configurations of solvents including aerosol, foam and saturated particulates. During the tests, the physical parameters, such as temperature and distribution of the droplet size, were carefully monitored (when appropriate) and the nature of the ignition and subsequent flame spread throughout the medium was examined, when was presented. The tests included: (i) Ignition of a pipe wall moistened with solvent as a function of the temperature with various electrostatic discharges. (ii) Ignition of a mineral deposit saturated with solvent as a function of the temperature with various electrostatic discharges. (iii) Ignition of coarse and fine solvent aerosol from a hydraulic nozzle. (iv) Ignition of coarse solvent droplets dispersed in a Hartmann tube apparatus. (v) Ignition of inert mineral particles saturated with solvent, dispersed sieved to control the particle size in the Hartmann tube apparatus. (vi) Ignition of a foam solvent on a liquid surface. The results of the tests and electrostatic measurements at the Olympic Dam site indicated that: (a) high levels of electrostatic charge could be generated with narrow-cut kerosene when transported through plastic and metal pipes; and (b) the levels of charge generated at relatively uniform low flow rates could, under the right conditions, result in discharges by electrostatic effluvium, propagation of effluvium and spark within a copper solvent extraction plant. It was clear from the tests and site work at Olympic Dam that the co-existence of electrostatic discharges and particular forms of narrow-cut kerosene, such as foams and mists, creates a potential fire hazard. In particular, testing and on-site work at Olympic Dam, showed that low, relatively uniform electrostatic discharge energies can result in an ignition that is capable of propagation through narrow-cut kerosene in the form of foam and mist . Once this condition is reached, the amount and movement of fuel around a copper solvent extraction plant has the ability to produce a rapid spraying of a resulting fire.

Generally speaking, conductivity improvers are reactants that include one or more active ingredients in an appropriate vehicle. There is a wide range of possible ingredients and active vehicles. Typical vehicles include toluene, kerosene and mixtures thereof. Preferred conductivity improvers are reactants sold under the trademark Stadis 425, Stadis 450, Octastat 2000, Octastat 3000 and Octastat 4065. Stadis 425 is 60-70% kerosene and 2-7% solvent naphtha and 2-8% DBSA (dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid). Octastat 2000 is 10-20% toluene, 2-8% DBSA, 50-70% kerosene, and 2-7% of a polymer containing secret-branched sulfur ("TS", for its acronym in English). Octastat 3000 is 40-50% toluene, 0-5% propan-2-ol, 5-15% DINNSAA (dinonylnaphthaphonic acid), 15-30% solvent naphtha, 1-10% TS polymer containing N and 10-20% TS polymer containing S. Stadis 450 is 50-65% toluene, 5-10% heavy aromatic naphtha, 1-10% DBSA, less than 10% benzene, 11-30% TS polymers and less than 5% propan-2 ol. Octastat 4065 is 30-60% kerosene, 10-30% solvent naphtha, 10-30% DINNSA, 1-5% naphthalene, 1-5% propan-2-ol and 1-5% TN polymer containing N. The amounts of any given conductivity meter required to increase the conductivity of a solvent to reduce the risk of electrostatic discharge of the solvent to obtain an adequate level of fire safety will depend on the target electrical conductivity of the solvent, the properties of the conductivity improver and the nature of the solvent (including the extraction agent) that is improved. In the case of a metal solvent extraction process, such as a copper solvent extraction process, the solvent is preferably a narrow-cut kerosene and the extraction agent is an oxime which dissolves in the kerosene solvent of narrow cut. In the particular case described above, preferably the amount of oxime in the narrow-cut kerosene is between 5-25% by volume of the total volume of the oxime and the narrow-cut kerosene. It is particularly preferred that the amount of oxime in the narrow-cut kerosene be between 5-15% by volume of the total volume of the oxime and the narrow-cut kerosene. To reduce the risk of electrostatic discharge of a solvent to obtain an adequate level of fire safety, it is preferred that the electrical conductivity of the solvent in the solvent extraction process be maintained at or above 100 pS / m. Preferably, the electrical conductivity of the solvent in the solvent extraction process is maintained at or above 150 pS / m.

More preferably, the electrical conductivity of the solvent in the solvent extraction process is maintained at or above 250 pS / m. More preferably, the electrical conductivity of the solvent in the solvent extraction process is maintained at or above 350 pS / m. More preferably, the electrical conductivity of the solvent in the solvent extraction process is maintained at or above 450 pS / m. It is particularly preferred that the electrical conductivity of the solvent in the solvent extraction process be maintained at 500 pS / m. The conductivity enhancer can be added to the solvent at any appropriate stage or steps in the solvent process. Preferably, the process includes adding the conductivity enhancer to a storage tank containing the solvent for the solvent extraction process. The conductivity enhancer may be added to the solvent in discrete doses on a periodic basis or continuously during the course of the solvent extraction process. Preferably, the solvent extraction process includes controlling the amount of the conductivity enhancer added to the process. The conductivity enhancer can be added continuously or periodically during the course of the process to maintain the electrical conductivity of the solvent above a minimum level. Preferably, the solvent extraction process includes controlling the amount of the conductivity enhancer added to the process by monitoring the electrical conductivity of the solvent in the process or adjusting the amount of the conductivity improver added to the process, to maintain electrical conductivity above a minimum level. The control can be by adjusting the dosing speed. Alternatively, in situations where there has been an accumulation of the conductivity improver in the process above a desirable level, the control can be by means of reducing the concentration of the conductivity improver. One option in this regard is to contact the solvent with clay. In the research program carried out by the applicant, the use of conductivity improvers to increase the conductivity of an organic solvent used in a copper solvent extraction process operated at Olympic Dam had an insignificant impact on the performance of the solvent in the process. More specifically, while there was an impact on the performance of the plant in some cases, in general terms the impact was not significant. The time normally taken for phase separation between the aqueous and solvent phases in a solvent extraction process is a measure of the performance of the process. The phase separation is carried out after a metal, such as copper, is extracted from an aqueous phase in an organic solvent and is usually presented in large settling tanks. The time required for phase separation impacts the cost of the process. Based on the research program, the applicant expects that the conductivity improver can be added to the process under conditions that do not cause phase separation times to increase the levels that impact operations. The performance of the extraction agent used in a solvent extraction process is another measure of the performance of the process. The applicant found in the research program that the performance of the extraction agent did not appear to be significantly influenced by the addition of a solvent conductivity improver. The research program included the following laboratory bench tests, described as Examples 1 and 2 and the mini-pilot plant test, demonstrating the effect of the addition of conductivity improvers to an organic solvent used in the process of extraction of copper solvent operated in Olympic Dam. It is observed that the results presented in the following Examples and the mini-pilot plant test were obtained under the conditions that apply at the particular times to which the research work was carried out. The conditions included the particular compositions of the plant solvent and the tested mother liquor and these compositions are subject to variation during the standard operating conditions of a plant. Laboratory bench tests Example 1 Four conductive enhancement reagents were tested in the plant solvent and the mother liquor, to assess its impact on conductivity and phase separation. Samples from the Olympic Dam copper solvent extraction plant plant were collected in new glass bottles that had been cleaned first with hot water, then with demineralised water and finally with heptane. No effort was made to remove the entrained aqueous phase because the entrainment is part of the "reality" of the plant solvent. Test samples consisting of fresh solvent or plant, containing conductivity improving reagents, were prepared on a mass basis in cleaned glass bottles as stated above. Four conductive enhancement reagents were tested, namely: Stadis 425, Stadis 450, Octastat 2000 and Octastat 3000.

For each conductivity enhancer reagent, 5 mL of the reagent was diluted to 500 mL (410.5 g) to give 10000 μL of conductivity enhancing reagent per L of a standard solution. This was then diluted 20 mL to 500 mL (410.5 g) to give 400 μL / L of standard solution. This was subsequently diluted 5, 10, 15 and 20 mL to 800 mL (656.8 g) to give 2.5, 5.0, 7.5 and 10.0 μL / L of the test solutions. The solvent entrained from the plant was used in all dilutions. The electrical conductivity of each test solution was measured using a L30 model liquid conductivity meter supplied by the Electrical Engineering Department of the University of Southampton. Phase separation times were determined by measuring 400 g of mother liquor solution ("PLS") and 328.4 g (400 mL) of solvent in a one liter beaker with screens. The agitator marks were used to place the beaker in a similar position for each test. After stirring at 300 rpm for 2 minutes, the time was recorded for each phase separation to reach 200 mL, 300 mL and 350 mL for each sample. Results The unimproved solvent had a conductivity of 40 pS / m, while the conductivity data for the improved solvent is shown in Table 1.

Table 1. Conductivity (pS / m) of the copper solvent improved at different concentrations.

In terms of improved conductivity, it is evident that the Octastat 3000 conductivity enhancer was significantly better than any of the other improvements. The measurements of the phase separation are established in Table 2. Table 2 Phase separation times (minutes) for different mixtures (S = Stadis, 0 = Octastat) It is evident from Table 2 that there was no significant difference in phase separation between the samples without conductivity improvers and the samples with conductivity enhancers at concentrations with an antishock conductivity of 500 pS / m.

Conclusions The above results indicate that the conductivity improvers had very little effect on phase separation. Example 2 Two conductivity enhancing reagents at different concentrations were added to the plant solvent (Shellsol ™ narrow-cut kerosene) containing copper extraction agents (Acute or exude LIX). The resulting solutions were loaded and entrained with mother plant liquor to verify the impact of these process steps on conductivity and phase separation. Method The method for preparing the solutions containing the plant solvent and the standard additions of the conductivity enhancer reagent was essentially the same as in Example 1, except that fresh cut kerosene from fresh Shellsol was used in all dilutions, and the samples were prepared on a volumetric basis (using volumetric flasks) instead of a mass base. Any part in contact with the solvent was cleaned using hot water, demineralized water and then heptane. The cleaning was verified by measuring the conductivity of the final heptane wash, which had less than 5 pS / m. A volumetric solution of oxime Acorga containing 10% v / v of oxime Acorga in kerosene of narrow cut of fresh Shellsol was prepared and then conditioned by stirring with a strong electrolyte at a ratio of 2.5: 1 and then discarded. electrolyte A LIX oxime volumetric solution containing 10% v / v LIX oxime in fresh shellsol narrow kerosene was prepared and then conditioned by stirring with a strong electrolyte at a ratio of 2.5: 1 and then the electrolyte was discarded. For each reagent conductivity improver (Stadis 450 and Octastat 3000), 5 mL was diluted to 100 mL, to give 50000 μL of conductivity enhancing reagent per L of the standard solution. This was then diluted 5 mL to 250 mL to give 1000 μL / L of standard solution. This was then subsequently diluted: (a) 5, 10, 15 and 20 μL to 1 liter of the plant solvent, (b) 5, 10, 15 and 20 μL to 1 liter of oxime solution Acute 10% fresh and ( c) 5, 10, 15 and 20 μL to 1 liter of fresh 10% LIX solution, to give 5, 10, 15 and 20 μL / L of the test solutions. In each test run, a beaker was charged with screens with 1000 mL of PLS and 500 mL of test solution. The mixture was stirred for 5 minutes, and the time taken for separation was recorded to a mark in the beaker just below 1000 mL.

After loading, the entire contents were transferred to a 2 L separation funnel and the refined was discarded after the collection of the sample for analysis. The conductivity of a portion of the test solution was measured and 400 mL was collected for entrainment using a measuring cylinder. The remaining test solution was used for the analysis. The test solution was transferred to a 1 L glass bottle and 160 mL of weak electrolyte was added. A stirrer with hinge blades was inserted into the bottle and this mixture was then mixed at 400 rpm for 5 minutes. The separation times were recorded initially, but the reliability and usefulness was very poor because the formation of bubbles around the interface made it very difficult to obtain reproducible times. For the test involving multiple loading / dragging, exactly the same procedure was used, but because the loss of solvent through the sample collection and drag tests, the load / carry of the replicate were combined at each stage , so that there was a sufficient test solution that would allow the final loading / dragging. The sequence is shown in Table 3. Table 3. Load and carry volumes for multi-stage extractions.

Results Tables 4 and 5 show electrical conductivity and phase separation times for charged and entrained test solutions containing the added improvers. Table 6 represents the change in electrical conductivity as the test solutions were loaded and dragged a number of times. Table 4. Conductivity (nS / m) of the copper solvent from different sources with added conductivity.

Table 5. Phase separation times for different mixtures.

Table 6. Conductivity of 16 μL / L of Octastat 3000 in the solvent of the plant.

Conclusions In terms of improving electrical conductivity, Octastat 3000 performed better than Stadis 450 in approximately 20 to 30%. In addition, the multiple loading and entrainment of the test solutions resulted in a decrease in conductivity at a seemingly modest rate after the initial drop in conductivity. Testing mini-pilot plant In addition to the previous laboratory bench tests, the research program included a continuous mini-pilot plant test carried out by ANSTO. The purpose of the test was to test the impact of the addition of the conductivity improver on the performance of the mini-pilot plant. The circuit of the mini-plant was established to simulate as closely as possible the operating conditions in the copper solvent extraction plant in Olympic Dam. Two circuits, CIRCUIT 1 (Cl) and CIRCUIT 2 (C2), with identical configurations , they were operated in parallel. Each circuit consisted of 2 stages of extraction, 1 stage of washing and 2 stages of entrainment. The aqueous feed solutions were heated before introducing the circuits by means of glass coils immersed in a water bath. A schematic representation of the adjustment is shown in Figure 1. CIRCUIT 1 was operated without a conductivity enhancing reagent and CIRCUIT 2 was operated with a conductivity enhancing reagent. The details of the operating conditions for CIRCUIT 2 are summarized in Table 7 below. The conductivity enhancing reagent used for this work was Octastat 3000. It was added to the circuit as a solution of 5000 μL / L diluted in narrow-cut kerosene from Shellsol 2046.

Table 7. Summary of the operating conditions of the mini-pilot plant * Settler loads of the mini-pilot plant calculated using barriers to reduce the effective size of the settler to 1/4 of its total size. CIRCUIT 1 was the control circuit and CIRCUIT 2 was the test circuit. The mini-pilot plant was operated for 240 hours.

After 144 h, the clay treatment was introduced in both control and test circuits. Electrical conductivity, phase separation times and other measurements were made during the operation of the mini-pilot plant. The objective of the addition of the conductivity improver to the circuit of the mini-pilot plant was to increase the conductivity of the solvent in the circuit to an anti-cathode of 500 pS / m. This level of anti-cathode had been determined from laboratory bench tests to be a very safe level in terms of preventing the accumulation and discharge of static electricity, and therefore, significantly contributes to reducing the risk of a fire. The two circuits were adjusted with the solvent pumped from the tanks to the extraction circuits and the entrained solvent was returned to the tanks. Frequent samples of the deposits were taken and the conductivity was measured with liquid conductivity meters (olfson Electrostatics, Model 30). Periodically, the solvent samples were also taken from the settlers of the extraction, washing and entrainment circuits. All samples were returned to the circuits. The data of the electrical conductivity of the baseline were obtained by measurements of the solvent samples taken from CIRCUIT 1 (the control circuit) operated without any conductivity improver. The results indicated that, on average, the conductivity of the solvent deposit in the control circuit was 35 pS m "1, with similar values measured in the entrainment conduit, and the readings of the samples taken from the extraction and the washings were greater than those of the tank, with maximum readings of 83 and 101 pS m "1 measurements for the two circuits, respectively. The electrical conductivity of the test circuit tank, CIRCUIT 2, was also monitored in a similar way. The addition of small volumes of the conductivity improver (0.2-1 mL once) was made to the deposit to obtain an anti-cathode conductivity of 500 pS m "1. A pattern of 5000 μL / L of kerosene improver was used for this purpose. Shellsol 2046. The standard solution was kept in the dark, when not in use.The conductivity improver was added to CIRCUIT 2 through run 1. For Run 2, the addition of the conductivity improver to the CIRCUIT 2 only started 48 hours after the start of the run The measurements of the conductivity of the samples taken from the extraction, flushing and draining circuits of the deposit are shown in Figures 2A and 2B Conductivity measurements consistently showed higher values for the extraction and even higher values for the samples of the washed solvent.The conductivity of the solvent in the trawl circuit was similar to that of the deposit. This was consistent for both RUN 1 and RUN 2. In RUN 1, the introduction of clay treatment increased the difference between the conductivities of the solvent in the tank and the wash, with readings as high as 2000 pS m "1 recorded . In Run 2, when there was no treatment with clay, the conductivity values for washing varied between 1000-1600 pS m "1. Conclusions No major differences were detected in the characteristics of phase decoupling between the operation with and without improver of Octastat 3000 conductivity with impurities at an anti-cathode conductivity of 500 pS / m in the solvent tank • The presence of conductivity improver did not cause any increase in the levels of organic drag measured in the refining and strong electrolyte solutions. of organic drag averaged between 25-140 ppm in the refining and between 19-28 ppm in the strong electrolyte • The presence of conductivity improver did not cause any increase in the aqueous drag in the loaded organic, which was averaged at 0.05%. • The presence of the improver of conductivity did not increase the amount of impurity transferred to the strong electrolyte. The data measured at the plant showed that the addition of the conductivity improver increased copper extraction. The increase was very significant (~ 12%) from a baseline of 55-59%. • The presence of the conductivity improver resulted consistently in higher levels of conductivity in the wash and extraction circuits compared to the entrainment circuit and the solvent deposit. This increase could be attributed to the aqueous drag in the solvent or the formation of stable emulsions. The overall evaluation of the mini-pilot plant test is that the addition of Octastat 3000 to an anti-cathode conductivity of 500 pS / m did not have a short-term negative impact on the extraction of copper solvent andIn addition, it caused a significant increase in copper extraction. Many modifications can be made to the embodiments of the present invention described above, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is noted that in relation to this date, the best method known to the applicant to carry out the aforementioned invention, is that which is clear from the present description of the invention.

Claims (20)

1. CLAIMS Having described the invention as above, the content of the following claims is claimed as property: 1. A solvent extraction process, characterized in that it includes operating this process using an organic solvent containing a non-ionic extraction agent and a conductivity improver. that increases the electrical conductivity of the solvent to reduce the accumulation of static electricity in the process and in this way, reduce the risk of electrostatic discharge of the solvent to an adequate level of fire safety.
2. 2. The process according to claim 1, characterized in that it includes adding the continuous conductivity improver or periodically during the course of the process and maintaining the electrical conductivity of the solvent above a minimum level.
3. 3. The process according to claim 2, characterized in that it includes controlling the quantity of the conductivity improver added to the process by monitoring the electrical conductivity of the solvent in the process and adjusting the amount of conductivity improver added to the process to maintain the electrical conductivity on top of the process. of a minimum level.
4. 4. The process according to any of the preceding claims for the extraction of a metal, such as copper, characterized in that it includes maintaining the electrical conductivity of the solvent at or above 100 pS / m.
5. 5. The process according to claim 4, characterized in that it includes maintaining the electrical conductivity of the solvent at or above 150 pS / m.
6. 6. The process according to claim 5, characterized in that it includes maintaining the electrical conductivity of the solvent at or above 250 pS / m.
7. The process according to claim 6, characterized in that it includes maintaining the electrical conductivity of the solvent at or above 350 pS / m.
8. 8. The process according to claim 7, characterized in that it includes maintaining the electrical conductivity of the solvent at 500 pS / m.
9. 9. The process according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the conductivity improver is a reagent containing 10-20% toluene, 60-70% kerosene and 2-7% solvent naphtha and 2-8% of DBSA (dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid).
10. The process according to any of claims 2 to 9, characterized in that the conductivity improver is a reagent containing 10-20% toluene, 2-8% DBSA, 50-70% kerosene and 2-7% % TS polymer containing S.
11. The process according to any of claims 2 to 9, characterized in that the conductivity improver is a reagent containing 40-50% toluene, 0-5% propan-2-ol, 5-15% DINNSAA (dinonylnaphthaphonic acid), 15-30% naphtha solvent, 1-10% TS polymer containing N and 10-20% S-containing polymer.
12. The process according to any of claims 2 to 9, characterized because the conductivity improver is a reagent containing 50-65% toluene, 5-10% heavy aromatic naphtha, 1-10% DBSA, less than 10% benzene, 11-30% TS polymers and less than 5% propan-2-ol.
13. 13. The process according to any of claims 2 to 9, characterized in that the conductivity improver is a reagent containing 30-60% kerosene, 10-30% naphtha solvent, 10-30% DINNSA, 1- 5% naphthalene, 1-5% propan-2-ol and 1-5% TS polymer containing N.
14. 14. The process according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the organic solvent is a kerosene cut narrow and the extraction agent is an oxime that dissolves in the solvent and the amount of oxime is between 5-25% by volume of the total volume of the oxime and the narrow-cut kerosene.
15. 15. The process according to claim 14, characterized in that the amount of oxime in the narrow-cut kerosene is between 5-15% by volume of the total volume of the oxime and the narrow kerosene.
16. 16. An organic solvent for the extraction of a metal, such as copper, from an aqueous medium in a solvent extraction process, characterized in that the solvent includes a combustible organic solvent, such as a narrow-cut kerosene, a non-ionic extraction agent and a conductivity improver and the Conductivity is a reagent containing 10-20% toluene, 60-70% kerosene and 2-7% solvent naphtha and 2-8% DBSA (dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid).
17. 17. An organic solvent for the extraction of a metal, such as copper, from an aqueous medium in a solvent extraction process, characterized in that the solvent includes a combustible organic solvent, such as a narrow-cut kerosene, a non-ionic extractant and a conductivity improver, and the conductivity improver is a reagent containing 10-20% toluene, 2-8% DBSA, 50-70% kerosene, and 2-7% TS polymer containing S.
18. 18. An organic solvent for the extraction of a metal, such as copper, from an aqueous medium in a solvent extraction process, characterized in that the solvent includes a combustible organic solvent, such as a narrow-cut kerosene, a non-ionic extractant and a conductivity improver, and the conductivity improver is a reagent containing 40-50% toluene, 0-5% propan-2-ol, 5-15% DINNSAA (dinonylnaphthaphonic acid), 15-30% Solvent naphtha, 1-10% TS polymer that continues It has N and 10-20% of polymer containing S.
19. 19. An organic solvent for the extraction of a metal, such as copper, from an aqueous medium in a solvent extraction process, characterized in that the solvent includes a combustible organic solvent, such as a narrow-cut kerosene, an extraction agent non-ionic and a conductivity improver, and the conductivity improver is a reagent containing 50-65% toluene, 5-10% heavy aromatic naphtha, 1-10% DBSA, less than 10% benzene, 11- 30% TS polymers and less than 5% propan-2-ol.
20. 20. An organic solvent for the extraction of a metal, such as copper, from an aqueous medium in a solvent extraction process, characterized in that the solvent includes a combustible organic solvent, such as a narrow-cut kerosene, an extraction agent non-ionic and a conductivity improver, and the conductivity improver is a reagent containing 30-60% kerosene, 10-30% solvent naphtha, 10-30% DINNSA, 1-5% naphthalene, 1-5 % propan-2-ol and 1-5% TS polymer containing N.