US3832440A - Process for chlorinating copper sulfide minerals - Google Patents
Process for chlorinating copper sulfide minerals Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US3832440A US3832440A US13194771A US3832440A US 3832440 A US3832440 A US 3832440A US 13194771 A US13194771 A US 13194771A US 3832440 A US3832440 A US 3832440A
- Authority
- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- copper
- copper sulfide
- diluent
- iron
- values
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired - Lifetime
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Classifications
-
- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C01—INORGANIC CHEMISTRY
- C01G—COMPOUNDS CONTAINING METALS NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES C01D OR C01F
- C01G3/00—Compounds of copper
- C01G3/04—Halides
- C01G3/05—Chlorides
-
- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C22—METALLURGY; FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS ALLOYS; TREATMENT OF ALLOYS OR NON-FERROUS METALS
- C22B—PRODUCTION AND REFINING OF METALS; PRETREATMENT OF RAW MATERIALS
- C22B1/00—Preliminary treatment of ores or scrap
- C22B1/02—Roasting processes
- C22B1/08—Chloridising roasting
-
- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C22—METALLURGY; FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS ALLOYS; TREATMENT OF ALLOYS OR NON-FERROUS METALS
- C22B—PRODUCTION AND REFINING OF METALS; PRETREATMENT OF RAW MATERIALS
- C22B15/00—Obtaining copper
- C22B15/0002—Preliminary treatment
- C22B15/001—Preliminary treatment with modification of the copper constituent
- C22B15/0013—Preliminary treatment with modification of the copper constituent by roasting
- C22B15/0019—Chloridizing roasting
-
- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
- Y02P—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS
- Y02P10/00—Technologies related to metal processing
- Y02P10/20—Recycling
Definitions
- ABSTRACT A substantially dry intimate mixture of copper sulfide mineral concentrate and an added diluent material is contacted with at least a stoichiometric amount of chlorine relative to chlorinatable compounds of such materials at a temperature of between 300 and 400 C. to produce a reaction product containing watersoluble cupric chloridev Sulfur and iron values present in the mixture are substantially completely volatilized.
- Typical diluent materials are chlorinatable iron coinpounds, gangue materials, silica sand, and carbon.
- a portion of the diluent can be already present in the copper sulfide material, for example gangue components of a copper sulfide mineral concentrate, with the rest of the necessary diluent being added to form the mixture.
- the cupric chloride product recovered from the water-insoluble residue in the reaction product as by means of water leaching is substantially uncontaminated by sulfur or iron values.
- COPPER SULFIDE MATERIAL e.g. CuS, CuS Cu s, Cu FeS DILUENT MATERIAL V F z 29r192?l..2"99915 v c HLORINE GASEOUS MXTURE REACTON VESSEL s c AND m 300C. TO 400C RESIDUE CONTAINING WATER SOLUBLE CuCl RECOVERY OF CuCl INVIENTOR. BERNHARDY W SPRECKELMEYER M AT TORNEYS PROCESS FOR CHLORINATING COPPER SULFIDE MINERALS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1.
- Field This invention relates to the extraction of copper values from copper sulfide materials, and more particularly to a process for chlorinating copper sulfide to produce water-soluble cupric chloride.
- copper values are extracted from copper sulfide minerals, such as ore concentrates, by contacting a dry, intimate mixture of such a copper sulfide mineral and a diluent material with at least a stoichiometric amount of chlorine at a temperature of between about 300 C. and about 400 C.
- the reaction extracts substantially all of the copper values and produces a reaction product containing water-soluble cupric chloride (CuCl which can be leached from the residue and recovered by conventional means.
- Sulfur and any chlorinatable iron values present in the mixture are substantially completely volatilized as chlorides during the reaction.
- Diluerit materials suitable for use in the process comprise chlorinatable iron values, such as iron pyrites (FeS gangue materials normally present in an ore, silica sand, carbon, etc.
- a portion of the diluent material utilized as such in the mixture can be initially present as gangue in the copper sulfide material itself. Under such circumstances, only the additional diluent necessary for the reaction is added to the sulfide material to form the desired mixture.
- Complete conversion of copper values to cupric chloride is achieved if sufiicient diluent, such as a chlorinatable iron compound, is added to the copper sulfide material to form a mixture having a molar ratio of at least 1:1 iron to copper.
- the other diluents are freely interchangeable with the iron either in part or in whole.
- the utilization of diluent materials other than iron compounds substantially eliminates any volatilization loss of copper values. Volatilization of the sulfur values, and iron values if present, permits the direct recovery of at least 99.9 percent of the cupric chloride in the reaction product by water leaching.
- FIGURE is a flowsheet showing the process as applied to copper sulfide materials to produce uncontaminated cupric chloride.
- the process of the invention is carried out by reacting a dry, intimate mixture of a copper sulfide material and a diluent mineral with at least a stoichiometric amount of chlorine gas at a temperature of between 300 and 400 C. to react with substantially all contained copper, iron, and sulfur values to produce a reaction product containing uncontaminated, water-soluble cupric chloride.
- the resulting iron and sulfur chlorides leave the reaction in the gaseous state.
- the process can be used with minerals, such as covellite (CuS), chalcocite (Cu S), digenite (Cu s), and bornite (Cu FeS in the form of an ore concentrate.
- the material can be in any physical form or have any particle size capable of reacting with chlorine. The most efficient results are obtained if the sulfide material is crushed to a fine particle size, as it is in the usual ore concentrate, to permit rapid and complete reaction between the copper sulfide and the chlorine.
- a diluent material be present to ensure complete conversion of the copper values to cupric chloride. It has been found that chlorinatable iron compounds (such as iron pyrites), gangue materials, silica sand and activated carbon are all effective in the process and are interchangeable with each other. Part of the diluent material may be initially present in the concentrated copper sulfide minerals to be processed. In such a situation, the remaining diluent is added to the copper sulfide concentrate to form the necessary mixture. For example, bornite (Cu FeS contains both copper and iron values. If the reaction with the chlorine is to proceed to completion with the chlorination of substantially all of the copper and iron values, the molar ratio of iron to copper should be at least 121.
- Cu FeS contains both copper and iron values.
- additional chlorinatable iron-bearing material such as iron pyrite
- bomite is mixed with the bomite to achieve the desired molar ratio.
- bower molar ratios will be effective in providing correspondingly smaller amounts of water-soluble copper chlorides and volatile iron chloride.
- the process produces not only cupric chloride as a water-soluble product, but also results in the formation of volatile by-products, sulfur chloride (S' Cl and ferric chloride (FeCl).
- S' Cl and ferric chloride FeCl
- the volatile chloride compounds are drawn off from the reaction and do not remain in the reaction product as contaminants.
- diluent materials such as water-insoluble gangue, sand, or charcoal in the reaction product does not appreciably affect the solubilization of cupric chloride.
- Recovcry of the cupric chloride from the reaction product is easily brought about by conventional means, such as water-leaching, followed by separation of the pregnant solution from the residue and precipitation of the copper values from solution.
- the reaction is best carried out under controlled conditions in which such variables as the temperature and the amount of chlorine can be regulated.
- the reaction can be carried out in a closed reaction vessel which has been flushed with nitrogen before introducing the chlorine.
- the chlorine used in the process is in the form of a gas and must be present in an amount at least stoichiometrically equivalent to the amount of copper, sulfur, and iron present in the mixture to be subjected to chlorination.
- stoichiometric amounts of chlorine are used. Less than stoichiometric amounts result in the formation of the intermediate,
- the chlorine can be introduced in any conventional manner, including countcrcurrent to the sulfide material or flowing over a stationary bed of the copper sulfide in a closed reaction vessel.
- the presence of air or nitrogen mixed with the chlorine is acceptable and has no deleterious effects.
- water or water vapor is undesirable.
- the chlorination reaction is exothermic and requires the introduction of heat only to start the reaction.
- the temperature of the reaction is maintained below about 400 C. to reduce the amount of volatilization of copper values and to avoid the formation of acid-soluble cuprous chloride.
- the temperature is held above about 300 C. to ensure complete volatilization of ferric chloride and the complete chlorination of the copper values.
- a temperature variance of about 34 outside the range of 300 400 C. is acceptable.
- the starting temperature lie within the range of about 300 to 360 C., although higher starting temperatures can be used.
- At a starting temperature of about 330 C. the maximum reaction temperature can increase to a point within the range of about 380 C. to about 400 C.
- the temperature of the reaction is maintained as low as possible below 400 C. (but above 300 C.) to reduce the amount of volatilization of copper chloride.
- the intermediate cuprous chloride (Cu Cl melts at about 430 C. The presence of molten Cu Cl would hinder further chlorination if the temperature were permitted to reach that level. Under optimum conditions, as little as 1 percent of the original copper values are volatilized, and 99.9 percent of the copper chlorides in the reaction product are recovered as water-soluble cupric chloride.
- the selection of the precise temperature within the 300 400 C. range is influenced by four factors: (1) the completeness of the chlorination of copper values; (2) the volatility of copper values during the reaction; (3) the volatility of ferric chloride; and (4) the formation of undesirable cuprous chloride. These factors are also influenced by the type of diluent material employed, as has been explained hereinbefore.
- a process for treating concentrated copper sulfide minerals in substantially dry condition for the recovery of substantially uncontaminated copper values in the form of water-soluble cupric chloride comprising mixing a copper sulfide mineral concentrate with carbon in the form of activated charcoal, contacting the mixture with at least a stoichiometric amount of chlorine gas based on the amount of chlorinatable material present in the mixture at a temperature between about 300 C. and about 400 C, the added carbon material being sufficient in amount to be effective for the formation of a
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- Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Organic Chemistry (AREA)
- Metallurgy (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Materials Engineering (AREA)
- Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
- Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
- Geology (AREA)
- Geochemistry & Mineralogy (AREA)
- General Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
- Environmental & Geological Engineering (AREA)
- Inorganic Chemistry (AREA)
- Manufacture And Refinement Of Metals (AREA)
Abstract
Description
Claims (2)
- 2. A process as set forth in claim 1, wherein the chlorine gas is passed in a continuous stream through the mixture in a closed system.
- 3. A process as set forth in claim 1, wherein the starting temperature of the reaction is between about 300* C. and about 360* C.
Priority Applications (5)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US13194771 US3832440A (en) | 1971-04-07 | 1971-04-07 | Process for chlorinating copper sulfide minerals |
CA139,086A CA970165A (en) | 1971-04-07 | 1972-04-06 | Process for chlorinating copper sulfide material |
GB1624972A GB1390073A (en) | 1971-04-07 | 1972-04-07 | Process for chlorinating copper sulphide material |
DE19722216807 DE2216807A1 (en) | 1971-04-07 | 1972-04-07 | Process for treating copper sulfide minerals to obtain copper |
US37878773 US3906074A (en) | 1971-04-07 | 1973-07-12 | Process for chlorinating copper sulfide minerals |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US13194771 US3832440A (en) | 1971-04-07 | 1971-04-07 | Process for chlorinating copper sulfide minerals |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
US3832440A true US3832440A (en) | 1974-08-27 |
Family
ID=22451726
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US13194771 Expired - Lifetime US3832440A (en) | 1971-04-07 | 1971-04-07 | Process for chlorinating copper sulfide minerals |
Country Status (4)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (1) | US3832440A (en) |
CA (1) | CA970165A (en) |
DE (1) | DE2216807A1 (en) |
GB (1) | GB1390073A (en) |
Citations (7)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US846657A (en) * | 1906-03-12 | 1907-03-12 | Oscar Froelich | Process of extracting copper. |
US1078779A (en) * | 1913-03-27 | 1913-11-18 | Tormod Reinert Forland | Process for the treatment and separation of complex sulfid ores. |
US1198519A (en) * | 1913-12-18 | 1916-09-19 | Charles S Bradley | Method of treating liquids with gases. |
US1353773A (en) * | 1919-12-08 | 1920-09-21 | Hooker Electrochemical Co | Process of treating copper-bearing alloys |
US1917231A (en) * | 1930-02-26 | 1933-07-11 | Bacon | Treatment of iron sulphide-bearing material |
US2987378A (en) * | 1957-10-17 | 1961-06-06 | Thoma Matthias | Process for the production of halogens from hydrohalides |
US3117860A (en) * | 1958-04-11 | 1964-01-14 | Ferrolegeringar Trollhetteverk | Methods of removing copper and related metals from sulfidic molybdenum ores and molybdenum-containing materials |
-
1971
- 1971-04-07 US US13194771 patent/US3832440A/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
-
1972
- 1972-04-06 CA CA139,086A patent/CA970165A/en not_active Expired
- 1972-04-07 DE DE19722216807 patent/DE2216807A1/en active Pending
- 1972-04-07 GB GB1624972A patent/GB1390073A/en not_active Expired
Patent Citations (7)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US846657A (en) * | 1906-03-12 | 1907-03-12 | Oscar Froelich | Process of extracting copper. |
US1078779A (en) * | 1913-03-27 | 1913-11-18 | Tormod Reinert Forland | Process for the treatment and separation of complex sulfid ores. |
US1198519A (en) * | 1913-12-18 | 1916-09-19 | Charles S Bradley | Method of treating liquids with gases. |
US1353773A (en) * | 1919-12-08 | 1920-09-21 | Hooker Electrochemical Co | Process of treating copper-bearing alloys |
US1917231A (en) * | 1930-02-26 | 1933-07-11 | Bacon | Treatment of iron sulphide-bearing material |
US2987378A (en) * | 1957-10-17 | 1961-06-06 | Thoma Matthias | Process for the production of halogens from hydrohalides |
US3117860A (en) * | 1958-04-11 | 1964-01-14 | Ferrolegeringar Trollhetteverk | Methods of removing copper and related metals from sulfidic molybdenum ores and molybdenum-containing materials |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
DE2216807A1 (en) | 1972-10-19 |
CA970165A (en) | 1975-07-01 |
GB1390073A (en) | 1975-04-09 |
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Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
AS | Assignment |
Owner name: KENNECOTT CORPORATION, 200 PUBLIC SQUARE, CLEVELAN Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST.;ASSIGNOR:KENNECOTT MINING CORPORATION;REEL/FRAME:004815/0063 Effective date: 19870320 Owner name: KENNECOTT MINING CORPORATION Free format text: CHANGE OF NAME;ASSIGNOR:KENNECOTT CORPORATION;REEL/FRAME:004815/0036 Effective date: 19870220 Owner name: KENNECOTT CORPORATION Free format text: CHANGE OF NAME;ASSIGNOR:KENNECOTT COPPER CORPORATION;REEL/FRAME:004815/0016 Effective date: 19800520 |
|
AS | Assignment |
Owner name: GAZELLE CORPORATION, C/O CT CORPORATION SYSTEMS, C Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST.;ASSIGNOR:RENNECOTT CORPORATION, A DE. CORP.;REEL/FRAME:005164/0153 Effective date: 19890628 |
|
AS | Assignment |
Owner name: KENNECOTT UTAH COPPER CORPORATION Free format text: CHANGE OF NAME;ASSIGNOR:GAZELLE CORPORATION;REEL/FRAME:005604/0237 Effective date: 19890630 |