WO2004106561A1 - Process of upgrading a copper concentrate - Google Patents
Process of upgrading a copper concentrate Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- WO2004106561A1 WO2004106561A1 PCT/AU2004/000738 AU2004000738W WO2004106561A1 WO 2004106561 A1 WO2004106561 A1 WO 2004106561A1 AU 2004000738 W AU2004000738 W AU 2004000738W WO 2004106561 A1 WO2004106561 A1 WO 2004106561A1
- Authority
- WO
- WIPO (PCT)
- Prior art keywords
- stage
- concentrate
- copper
- chalcopyrite
- bornite
- Prior art date
Links
- 239000012141 concentrate Substances 0.000 title claims abstract description 87
- 239000010949 copper Substances 0.000 title claims abstract description 82
- 229910052802 copper Inorganic materials 0.000 title claims abstract description 76
- RYGMFSIKBFXOCR-UHFFFAOYSA-N Copper Chemical compound [Cu] RYGMFSIKBFXOCR-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 title claims abstract description 74
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 title claims abstract description 50
- 230000008569 process Effects 0.000 title claims abstract description 50
- XEEYBQQBJWHFJM-UHFFFAOYSA-N Iron Chemical compound [Fe] XEEYBQQBJWHFJM-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims abstract description 52
- 229910052948 bornite Inorganic materials 0.000 claims abstract description 42
- DVRDHUBQLOKMHZ-UHFFFAOYSA-N chalcopyrite Chemical compound [S-2].[S-2].[Fe+2].[Cu+2] DVRDHUBQLOKMHZ-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims abstract description 42
- 229910052951 chalcopyrite Inorganic materials 0.000 claims abstract description 42
- 238000002386 leaching Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 41
- 229910052500 inorganic mineral Inorganic materials 0.000 claims abstract description 37
- 239000011707 mineral Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 37
- BWFPGXWASODCHM-UHFFFAOYSA-N copper monosulfide Chemical compound [Cu]=S BWFPGXWASODCHM-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims abstract description 32
- 229910052742 iron Inorganic materials 0.000 claims abstract description 26
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 26
- 238000005649 metathesis reaction Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 25
- 239000002253 acid Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 21
- 229910052770 Uranium Inorganic materials 0.000 claims abstract description 8
- 150000001875 compounds Chemical class 0.000 claims abstract description 7
- 238000003723 Smelting Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 6
- XUIMIQQOPSSXEZ-UHFFFAOYSA-N Silicon Chemical compound [Si] XUIMIQQOPSSXEZ-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims abstract description 5
- 239000004411 aluminium Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 5
- XAGFODPZIPBFFR-UHFFFAOYSA-N aluminium Chemical compound [Al] XAGFODPZIPBFFR-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims abstract description 5
- 229910052782 aluminium Inorganic materials 0.000 claims abstract description 5
- 239000010703 silicon Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 5
- 229910052710 silicon Inorganic materials 0.000 claims abstract description 5
- DNYWZCXLKNTFFI-UHFFFAOYSA-N uranium Chemical compound [U][U][U][U][U][U][U][U][U][U][U][U][U][U][U][U][U][U][U][U][U][U][U][U][U][U][U][U][U][U][U][U][U][U][U][U][U][U][U][U][U][U][U][U][U][U][U][U][U][U][U][U][U][U][U][U][U][U][U][U][U][U][U][U][U][U][U][U][U][U][U][U][U][U][U][U][U][U][U][U][U][U][U][U][U][U][U][U][U][U][U][U][U][U][U][U][U][U][U][U][U][U][U][U][U][U][U][U][U][U][U][U][U][U] DNYWZCXLKNTFFI-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims abstract 3
- 239000003638 chemical reducing agent Substances 0.000 claims description 35
- 239000002002 slurry Substances 0.000 claims description 19
- 238000004090 dissolution Methods 0.000 claims description 17
- RAHZWNYVWXNFOC-UHFFFAOYSA-N Sulphur dioxide Chemical compound O=S=O RAHZWNYVWXNFOC-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 16
- 239000007787 solid Substances 0.000 claims description 14
- QAOWNCQODCNURD-UHFFFAOYSA-N Sulfuric acid Chemical compound OS(O)(=O)=O QAOWNCQODCNURD-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 13
- 235000011149 sulphuric acid Nutrition 0.000 claims description 13
- 239000001117 sulphuric acid Substances 0.000 claims description 13
- GEHJYWRUCIMESM-UHFFFAOYSA-L sodium sulfite Chemical compound [Na+].[Na+].[O-]S([O-])=O GEHJYWRUCIMESM-UHFFFAOYSA-L 0.000 claims description 12
- 239000007790 solid phase Substances 0.000 claims description 12
- ARUVKPQLZAKDPS-UHFFFAOYSA-L copper(II) sulfate Chemical class [Cu+2].[O-][S+2]([O-])([O-])[O-] ARUVKPQLZAKDPS-UHFFFAOYSA-L 0.000 claims description 10
- 239000007791 liquid phase Substances 0.000 claims description 10
- 238000006479 redox reaction Methods 0.000 claims description 10
- VTLYFUHAOXGGBS-UHFFFAOYSA-N Fe3+ Chemical compound [Fe+3] VTLYFUHAOXGGBS-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 9
- UQSXHKLRYXJYBZ-UHFFFAOYSA-N Iron oxide Chemical compound [Fe]=O UQSXHKLRYXJYBZ-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 9
- 229910001447 ferric ion Inorganic materials 0.000 claims description 9
- 238000006722 reduction reaction Methods 0.000 claims description 9
- 239000007788 liquid Substances 0.000 claims description 7
- 239000004291 sulphur dioxide Substances 0.000 claims description 7
- 235000010269 sulphur dioxide Nutrition 0.000 claims description 7
- 235000010265 sodium sulphite Nutrition 0.000 claims description 6
- JPVYNHNXODAKFH-UHFFFAOYSA-N Cu2+ Chemical class [Cu+2] JPVYNHNXODAKFH-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 5
- 230000033116 oxidation-reduction process Effects 0.000 claims description 5
- 229910021607 Silver chloride Inorganic materials 0.000 claims description 4
- 229910001431 copper ion Inorganic materials 0.000 claims description 4
- -1 iron ions Chemical class 0.000 claims description 4
- HKZLPVFGJNLROG-UHFFFAOYSA-M silver monochloride Chemical compound [Cl-].[Ag+] HKZLPVFGJNLROG-UHFFFAOYSA-M 0.000 claims description 4
- HRZFUMHJMZEROT-UHFFFAOYSA-L sodium disulfite Chemical compound [Na+].[Na+].[O-]S(=O)S([O-])(=O)=O HRZFUMHJMZEROT-UHFFFAOYSA-L 0.000 claims description 3
- 239000004296 sodium metabisulphite Substances 0.000 claims description 3
- 235000010262 sodium metabisulphite Nutrition 0.000 claims description 3
- 238000006467 substitution reaction Methods 0.000 claims description 3
- 238000006243 chemical reaction Methods 0.000 description 29
- 235000010755 mineral Nutrition 0.000 description 24
- 238000001556 precipitation Methods 0.000 description 17
- 229910052595 hematite Inorganic materials 0.000 description 15
- 239000011019 hematite Substances 0.000 description 15
- LIKBJVNGSGBSGK-UHFFFAOYSA-N iron(3+);oxygen(2-) Chemical compound [O-2].[O-2].[O-2].[Fe+3].[Fe+3] LIKBJVNGSGBSGK-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 15
- 239000000243 solution Substances 0.000 description 15
- CWYNVVGOOAEACU-UHFFFAOYSA-N Fe2+ Chemical compound [Fe+2] CWYNVVGOOAEACU-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 12
- 230000009467 reduction Effects 0.000 description 5
- JFALSRSLKYAFGM-UHFFFAOYSA-N uranium(0) Chemical compound [U] JFALSRSLKYAFGM-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 5
- 229910001448 ferrous ion Inorganic materials 0.000 description 4
- 229910052947 chalcocite Inorganic materials 0.000 description 3
- 235000013980 iron oxide Nutrition 0.000 description 3
- 239000002245 particle Substances 0.000 description 3
- 239000007864 aqueous solution Substances 0.000 description 2
- 230000008901 benefit Effects 0.000 description 2
- 239000011790 ferrous sulphate Substances 0.000 description 2
- 235000003891 ferrous sulphate Nutrition 0.000 description 2
- 150000002500 ions Chemical class 0.000 description 2
- VBMVTYDPPZVILR-UHFFFAOYSA-N iron(2+);oxygen(2-) Chemical class [O-2].[Fe+2] VBMVTYDPPZVILR-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 2
- 238000004519 manufacturing process Methods 0.000 description 2
- 230000003647 oxidation Effects 0.000 description 2
- 238000007254 oxidation reaction Methods 0.000 description 2
- 239000011734 sodium Substances 0.000 description 2
- 238000011282 treatment Methods 0.000 description 2
- 239000005749 Copper compound Substances 0.000 description 1
- UFHFLCQGNIYNRP-UHFFFAOYSA-N Hydrogen Chemical compound [H][H] UFHFLCQGNIYNRP-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- NINIDFKCEFEMDL-UHFFFAOYSA-N Sulfur Chemical compound [S] NINIDFKCEFEMDL-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 239000005864 Sulphur Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000015572 biosynthetic process Effects 0.000 description 1
- 150000001768 cations Chemical class 0.000 description 1
- 230000008859 change Effects 0.000 description 1
- 150000001880 copper compounds Chemical class 0.000 description 1
- BUGICWZUDIWQRQ-UHFFFAOYSA-N copper iron sulfane Chemical compound S.[Fe].[Cu] BUGICWZUDIWQRQ-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 229910001779 copper mineral Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- ROCOTSMCSXTPPU-UHFFFAOYSA-N copper sulfanylideneiron Chemical compound [S].[Fe].[Cu] ROCOTSMCSXTPPU-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 229910052955 covellite Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 230000001419 dependent effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000001627 detrimental effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000000605 extraction Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000005188 flotation Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000009291 froth flotation Methods 0.000 description 1
- 229910052739 hydrogen Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 239000001257 hydrogen Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000009854 hydrometallurgy Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000011221 initial treatment Methods 0.000 description 1
- 150000002506 iron compounds Chemical class 0.000 description 1
- 239000000203 mixture Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000004048 modification Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000012986 modification Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000007800 oxidant agent Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000001590 oxidative effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000002244 precipitate Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000001376 precipitating effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000000047 product Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000000376 reactant Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000007670 refining Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000000926 separation method Methods 0.000 description 1
- 229910021653 sulphate ion Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 238000010977 unit operation Methods 0.000 description 1
- 150000003671 uranium compounds Chemical class 0.000 description 1
Classifications
-
- 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
- C22B15/0004—Preliminary treatment without modification of the copper constituent
- C22B15/0008—Preliminary treatment without modification of the copper constituent by wet processes
-
- 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
-
- 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
- the present invention relates to a hydrometallurgical process for upgrading a copper concentrate.
- the present invention has been made to enable continued treatment of an ore body such as the ore body at Olympic Dam Operations in South Australia despite the grade and mineralogy of the ore being mined changing over time.
- Copper concentrate can have a particle size distribution with 80 weight percent passing 20-75 microns.
- the concentrate includes various copper sulphide minerals including chalcocite (Cu 2 S) , chalcopyrite (CuFeS 2 ) and bornite (Cu 5 FeS 4 ) as well as gangue material, which includes compounds containing any one or a combination of iron, uranium, aluminium, and silicon.
- the concentrate which is fed to the smelter at Olympic Dam Operations undergoes an initial treatment to recover uranium and to at least partially remove hematite and other gangue material using a sulphuric acid leach stage.
- hematite is normally considered difficult to leach using sulphuric acid, under suitable conditions hematite is dissolved to produce a ferrous sulphate solution.
- one apparent option to adjust the Cu:Fe ratio is to adjust the acidity of the leach to remove more hematite.
- the oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) of the leaching slurry also increases as acidity increases and some copper minerals would be more susceptible to dissolution and thus would also be removed from the concentrate if the leach conditions were changed.
- ORP oxidation-reduction potential
- Cu:S ratio is not changed by increased hematite dissolution.
- a process for upgrading a copper concentrate suitable for smelting including gangue material containing any one or more of iron, uranium, aluminium, silicon or compounds thereof, the concentrate also including at least one of chalcopyrite and bornite, the process including the stages of: a) leaching at least a portion of the gangue material from the concentrate using an acid solution; and b) reacting chalcopyrite or bornite in the concentrate with ionic copper in a metathesis reaction that replaces iron with copper in the chalcopyrite or bornite and forms copper sulphide minerals.
- An advantage provided by the present invention is that soluble ionic copper can react with chalcopyrite and bornite to form relatively insoluble copper sulphide minerals and thereby add to the amount of copper in the concentrate.
- stages a) and b) can be carried out concurrently, it is preferred that stages a) and b) be carried out consecutively.
- stage b) occur before stage a) or at least begin before stage a) .
- acid leaching gangue material according to stage a) of the process of the present invention can create conditions in which the concentrate is upgraded by a series of redox reactions.
- conditions may be created in which bornite and/or chalcopyrite are oxidised to copper sulphide minerals and thereby increase the ratio of copper to iron in the concentrate.
- the oxidation of bornite to produce copper sulphide minerals may occur in stage a) without the addition of a reductant according to the following two half reactions.
- Reaction 1 suggests the copper may be dissolved during stage a) , however, the following half reaction involving the reduction of bornite suggests that any available copper ions are reacted to produce a copper sulphide precipitate.
- stage a) involves the dissolution of hematite
- ferric and sulphate ions are produced.
- ferric ions are a relatively strong oxidant and have a propensity to be reduced to ferrous ions in accordance with the following half reaction. Reaction 4 Fe 3+ + e " ⁇ Fe 2+
- reaction 4 the oxidation of bornite produces in addition to copper sulphide minerals, ferrous and cuprous ions.
- the rate at which reaction 4 can occur depends on the products of reaction 1, 2 and 4.
- the rate of dissolution of hematite is also affected by the rate at which reaction 4 can occur.
- a reductant can be supplied to stage a) to facilitate the reduction of the ferric ions which in turn facilitates the dissolution of hematite.
- the reductants be any one or a combination of sulphur dioxide, sodium sulphite, or elemental iron.
- Ionic copper can be supplied to stage a) which reacts with bornite and/or chalcopyrite to produce copper sulphide minerals by way of reduction and/or metathesis reactions. Ionic copper may be added to stage a) with or without the addition of a reducing agent. In the instance when ionic copper and a reductant are added to stage a) , chalcopyrite may be reduced to produce a copper sulphide mineral in accordance with the following half reaction.
- ionic copper is supplied to stage a) during acid leaching without the addition of a reductant, ionic copper is likely to react with bornite and/or chalcopyrite in a metathesis reaction.
- An overall redox reaction in which no additional reductants and/or ionic copper are added to stage a) may be represented by the following reaction.
- stage a) produces a solid phase from which iron oxides (eg hematite) and other gangue material have been partially or wholly removed and a liquid phase containing ferrous, uranium and other ions .
- iron oxides eg hematite
- stage a) produces a solid phase from which iron oxides (eg hematite) and other gangue material have been partially or wholly removed and a liquid phase containing ferrous, uranium and other ions .
- the concentration of sulphuric acid range from 20 to 100 g/L.
- stage a) In the situation in which stages a) and b) occur consecutively, it is preferred that the .liquid and solid phases produced in stage a) be at least partially separated in a solid/liquid separator prior to the concentrate being further processed according to stage b) .
- stage a) be carried out at a temperature > 70°C.
- the amount and rate at which gangue material, particularly hematite, is leached from the concentrate increases as the temperature increases.
- the acid solution and the concentrate in stage a) form a slurry whereby the proportion of solids in the slurry ranges from 35 to 60%.
- the concentrate be subjected to leaching in stage a) for at least 10 hours.
- the concentrate be subjected to leaching in stage a) for a period ranging from 10 to 25 hours.
- the oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) of the slurry in stage a) be ⁇ 380 mV and in stage b) be ⁇ 300mV.
- the ORP value is reported with reference to Ag/AgCl and 3M KCl.
- metalthesis reaction throughout this specification means a type of exchange reaction in which cations, preferably provided by a copper sulphate solution, react with chalcopyrite or bornite minerals to form relatively insoluble copper sulphide minerals including: covellite, chalcocite, digenite or derivatives thereof.
- the copper sulphide minerals formed by metathesis have a tendency to form on the outer surfaces of copper iron sulphide mineral particles in the concentrate.
- the metathesis reaction in stage b) be based on a reaction between copper sulphate and chalcopyrite or bornite.
- the copper sulphate be in the form of a solution.
- stage b) It is preferred that a reducing agent be added to stage b) . It has been found that slightly reducing conditions enhance the substitution of copper ions for iron ions in the lattice of chalcopyrite and bornite minerals (ie. increase the metathesis reaction rate) .
- Examples of possible reducing agents include sodium sulphite (Na 2 S0 3 ) , sodium metabisulphite (Na 2 S 2 0 5 ) , sulphur dioxide (S0 2 ) , hydrogen and iron.
- the reducing agent be in the form of sulphur dioxide.
- stages a) and b) are carried out concurrently, one of the advantages of a reducing agent is that it can facilitate the dissolution of gangue material such as hematite and create conditions conducive to metathesis reactions .
- an embodiment of the present invention may involve carrying out stages a) and b) concurrently whereby both leaching of gangue material and precipitation of copper sulphide minerals occurs simultaneously.
- stage a) can be carried out before stage b) so that in essence leaching of gangue material from the concentrate proceeds the production of a copper sulphide mineral .
- redox reactions may to some extent convert bornite and/or chalcopyrite into copper sulphide minerals during stage a) .
- stage b) may be carried out prior to stage a) .
- a reductant may also be added to stage b) to facilitate a reduction of bornite and/or chalcopyrite to other copper sulphide minerals.
- Reaction 5 is an example of a half reaction in which bornite and/or chalcopyrite is reduced to a copper sulphide mineral.
- Figure 1 which is a flowsheet of a copper concentrate treatment process presently in use at Olympic Dam Operations in South Australia;
- FIG. 2 which is a flowsheet of a copper concentrate upgrading process according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention
- Figures 3 to 5 which are flowsheets of copper concentrate upgrading processes according to alternative embodiments of the present invention.
- Tables 1 and 2 provide details of a total of 23 trials carried out on a concentrate presently available at Olympic Dam Operations and a concentrate expected to be produced in the future.
- the upgrading process shown in Figure 1 is a single stage leaching process presently in use at Roxby Downs mine.
- the materials fed to the leaching process comprise a copper concentrate slurry and sulphuric acid.
- the copper concentrate is prepared from a run-of-mine ore that has been ground and then concentrated in froth flotation vessels (not illustrated) .
- the slurry Upon completion of the leaching stage, the slurry is transferred to a solid/liquid separator.
- the upgraded concentrate can then be supplied to a smelter via other unit operations such as driers as necessary.
- the liquid from the separator contains ferrous sulphate, uranium compounds and possibly small amounts of soluble copper that may be further processed in the tails leaching circuit within the copper refining plant at Olympic Dam Operations .
- the process of the preferred embodiment shown in Figure 2 is essentially a two stage process.
- a copper concentrate slurry comprising approximately 50 to 55% solids initially undergoes a sulphuric acid leaching stage to remove gangue material .
- the acid leaching stage may also involve redox reactions to assist the upgrading of concentrate.
- the concentrate is then transferred to a copper precipitation stage involving metathesis reactions resulting from contacting the concentrate with a copper sulphate solution and carried out in the presence of a reducing agent.
- the metathesis reactions involve the conversion of solid chalcopyrite and bornite particles to solid compounds containing higher concentrations of copper and sulphur.
- the process also includes solid/liquid separation after each stage for separating liquid and upgraded concentrate.
- the slurry concentrate is treated in the leaching stage for a period of approximately 20 hours and at an elevated temperature of approximately 85°C.
- the sulphuric acid solution mixed with the slurry is supplied to produce an acid concentration in the leach solution ranging from 20-100 g/L.
- the oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) of the slurry is of the order of 300mV, wherein the potential is in reference to Ag/AgCl and 3M KC1.
- the acidity in the leaching step is maintained initially at 100 g/L but allowed to decrease about half way through the leach time to a lower concentration of 20 g/L.
- the ORP is dependent on the acid addition and the mineral composition of the concentrate.
- the reaction kinetics under normal operating conditions are such that the concentrate is upgraded by at least partial dissolution of gangue material in the concentrate.
- the gangue material includes iron oxide compounds and uranium containing compounds .
- reaction 4 takes place in association with reactions 1 and 2 and thereby converts bornite to insoluble copper sulphide minerals by way of redox reactions.
- a reductant may be added to the leach stage for reducing ferric ions to ferrous ions and thereby increase the dissolution of hematite.
- ionic copper may also be added to the leaching stage to convert bornite and/or chalcopyrite to copper sulphide minerals in accordance with reactions 3 and 5.
- Figure 3 is a flowsheet in which iron leaching and copper precipitation are carried out simultaneously in a single stage.
- a copper concentrate, sulphuric acid, and a soluble copper solution are supplied to the single stage to facilitate the dissolution of iron and produce a copper sulphide mineral from bornite and/or chalcopyrite by metathesis and redox reactions.
- a reductant is also supplied to assist in the reduction of ferric ions to ferrous ions and thus the dissolution of iron oxide material.
- the reductant also creates reducing conditions that favour the formation of the copper sulphide minerals by way of the redox and metathesis reactions.
- An upgraded solid phase is then separated from the liquid phase in a separator.
- Figure 4 is a f owsheet in which both iron leaching and copper precipitation are carried out simultaneously in a first stage followed by copper precipitation in a second stage.
- the first stage is the same as flow sheet shown in Figure 3.
- the liquid and solid phases formed in the first stage are then separated and the solid phase further processed in a second stage that involves metathesis reactions driven by an ionic copper solution and reductant.
- An upgraded solid phase is then separated from the liquid phase in a further separator.
- Figure 5 is a flowsheet in which copper precipitation involving metathesis and redox reactions occurs in a first stage followed by an iron leaching in a second stage. Copper concentrate, a soluble copper solution and a reductant are supplied to a first stage.
- the solid and liquid phases formed in the first stage are then separated and the solid phase treated in a second stage with sulphuric acid to leach iron.
- An upgraded solid phase is then separated from the liquid phase in a further separator.
- Table 1 provides the results of 16 trials, of which trials 1 to 13 are upgrading processes carried out on a concentrate expected to be produced from ore mined at Olympic Dam Operations in the future ("future concentrate”) and trials 14 to 16 are upgrading processes carried out on the concentrate presently available at Olympic Dam Operations (“present concentrate”) .
- Table 1 includes data that shows the proportions of copper and iron in the feed concentrate, the liquid phase, and the upgraded concentrate, and the conditions under which the trials were conducted.
- the upgrading processes in trials 6 to 13 were carried out in accordance with the present invention. However, unlike the preferred embodiment described above in relation to Figure 2, the upgrading processes in trials 6 to 13 were carried out so that the leaching and precipitation stages occurred concurrently.
- the upgrading processes conducted in the other trials 1 to 5 and 14 to 16 were carried out in accordance with the prior art and involved a leaching stage without soluble copper addition for metathesis of bornite ( ⁇ 100°C) .
- Trials 9, 10 and 12 involved the addition of a reducing agent in the form sodium sulphite and trials 9 and 10 also involved the addition of an aqueous copper solution for the purposes of precipitating dissolved copper. Precipitation of soluble copper was 52%, 95% and 100% in trials 9, 10 and 12. Table 2 provides the results of 7 trials numbered
- Trials 17 to 21 were carried out in accordance with the flowsheet shown in Figure 2, namely an iron leaching stage followed by copper precipitation stage.
- Trials 22 and 23 were carried out in accordance with the flowsheet shown in Figure 5, namely a copper precipitation stage followed by an iron leaching stage.
- the results of the trials show that the optimal process for upgrading the concentrate involves a 2 stage process in which gangue material leaching and copper precipitation are carried out at different optimum conditions.
- Stage 1 - Leach stage Temperature > 80 °C Acidity: 100 g acid per L for 8-12 h Duration: 12 - 24 h
- Reductant sodium sulphite
Abstract
Description
Claims
Priority Applications (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
BRPI0410935-0A BRPI0410935B1 (en) | 2003-06-03 | 2004-06-03 | process for processing a copper concentrate suitable for reduction. |
AU2004243345A AU2004243345B2 (en) | 2003-06-03 | 2004-06-03 | Process of upgrading a copper concentrate |
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
AU2003902803A AU2003902803A0 (en) | 2003-06-03 | 2003-06-03 | Process of upgrading a copper concentrate |
AU2003902803 | 2003-06-03 |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
WO2004106561A1 true WO2004106561A1 (en) | 2004-12-09 |
Family
ID=31953844
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
PCT/AU2004/000738 WO2004106561A1 (en) | 2003-06-03 | 2004-06-03 | Process of upgrading a copper concentrate |
Country Status (4)
Country | Link |
---|---|
AU (1) | AU2003902803A0 (en) |
BR (1) | BRPI0410935B1 (en) |
PL (1) | PL205892B1 (en) |
WO (1) | WO2004106561A1 (en) |
Cited By (9)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
WO2014138809A1 (en) * | 2013-03-14 | 2014-09-18 | Orway Mineral Consultants (Wa) Pty Ltd | Post- and pre-treatment process for use in a method of removal of radionuclides from copper concentrates |
WO2016040955A1 (en) * | 2014-09-12 | 2016-03-17 | Flsmidth A/S | System and method for enhanced metal recovery during atmospheric leaching of metal sulfides |
WO2016100981A1 (en) * | 2014-12-19 | 2016-06-23 | Flsmidth A/S | Methods for rapidly leaching chalcopyrite |
CN105838903A (en) * | 2016-04-01 | 2016-08-10 | 北京工业大学 | Method for processing copper sulphide concentrates and preparing high-grade copper oxide concentrates based on self-propagating reacting |
WO2016183610A1 (en) * | 2015-05-19 | 2016-11-24 | Orway Mineral Consultants (Wa) Pty Ltd | Improved hydrometallurgical method for the removal of radionuclides from radioactive copper concentrates |
WO2016183611A1 (en) * | 2015-05-19 | 2016-11-24 | Orway Mineral Consultants (Wa) Pty Ltd | A truncated hydrometallurgical method for the removal of radionuclides from radioactive copper concentrates |
CN107109521A (en) * | 2014-11-20 | 2017-08-29 | Fl史密斯公司 | The activation system and method for metal recovery are improved in metal sulfide normal pressure leaching |
US20210062294A1 (en) * | 2017-05-17 | 2021-03-04 | Flsmidth A/S | Activation system and method for enhancing metal recovery during atmospheric leaching of metal sulfides |
WO2022147078A1 (en) * | 2020-12-30 | 2022-07-07 | Vardner Jonathan | Reduction of chalcopyrite by an aqueous phase reducant to enable hydrometallurgical extraction of copper |
Citations (7)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US3957602A (en) * | 1974-07-24 | 1976-05-18 | Cyprus Metallurgical Processes Corporation | Recovery of copper from chalcopyrite utilizing copper sulfate leach |
US3985555A (en) * | 1973-03-19 | 1976-10-12 | The United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Interior | Decomposition of chalcopyrite |
US4256553A (en) * | 1980-01-23 | 1981-03-17 | Envirotech Corporation | Recovering copper from chalcopyrite concentrate |
US4290865A (en) * | 1980-01-23 | 1981-09-22 | Envirotech Corporation | Recovering copper from a copper-bearing source |
US4341742A (en) * | 1980-10-06 | 1982-07-27 | Cyprus Metallurgical Processes Corp. | Cuprous chloride production from chalcopyrite |
WO1985003952A1 (en) * | 1984-03-08 | 1985-09-12 | Cheminor A/S | Method for separation and leaching of the valuable metals in metal sulphide materials |
US5993635A (en) * | 1995-03-22 | 1999-11-30 | M.I.M. Holdings Limited | Atmospheric mineral leaching process |
-
2003
- 2003-06-03 AU AU2003902803A patent/AU2003902803A0/en not_active Abandoned
-
2004
- 2004-06-03 WO PCT/AU2004/000738 patent/WO2004106561A1/en active Application Filing
- 2004-06-03 BR BRPI0410935-0A patent/BRPI0410935B1/en active IP Right Grant
- 2004-06-03 PL PL379128A patent/PL205892B1/en unknown
Patent Citations (7)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US3985555A (en) * | 1973-03-19 | 1976-10-12 | The United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Interior | Decomposition of chalcopyrite |
US3957602A (en) * | 1974-07-24 | 1976-05-18 | Cyprus Metallurgical Processes Corporation | Recovery of copper from chalcopyrite utilizing copper sulfate leach |
US4256553A (en) * | 1980-01-23 | 1981-03-17 | Envirotech Corporation | Recovering copper from chalcopyrite concentrate |
US4290865A (en) * | 1980-01-23 | 1981-09-22 | Envirotech Corporation | Recovering copper from a copper-bearing source |
US4341742A (en) * | 1980-10-06 | 1982-07-27 | Cyprus Metallurgical Processes Corp. | Cuprous chloride production from chalcopyrite |
WO1985003952A1 (en) * | 1984-03-08 | 1985-09-12 | Cheminor A/S | Method for separation and leaching of the valuable metals in metal sulphide materials |
US5993635A (en) * | 1995-03-22 | 1999-11-30 | M.I.M. Holdings Limited | Atmospheric mineral leaching process |
Cited By (20)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
WO2014138808A1 (en) * | 2013-03-14 | 2014-09-18 | Orway Mineral Consultants (Wa) Pty Ltd. | Hydrometallurgical method for the removal of radionuclides from radioactive copper concentrates |
WO2014138809A1 (en) * | 2013-03-14 | 2014-09-18 | Orway Mineral Consultants (Wa) Pty Ltd | Post- and pre-treatment process for use in a method of removal of radionuclides from copper concentrates |
US9587290B2 (en) | 2013-03-14 | 2017-03-07 | Orway Mineral Consultants (Wa) Pty, Ltd. | Hydrometallurgical method for the removal of radionuclides from radioactive copper concentrates |
WO2016040955A1 (en) * | 2014-09-12 | 2016-03-17 | Flsmidth A/S | System and method for enhanced metal recovery during atmospheric leaching of metal sulfides |
US10023935B2 (en) | 2014-09-12 | 2018-07-17 | Flsmidth A/S | System and method for enhanced metal recovery during atmospheric leaching of metal sulfides |
AU2015314735B2 (en) * | 2014-09-12 | 2017-04-13 | Flsmidth A/S | System and method for enhanced metal recovery during atmospheric leaching of metal sulfides |
CN106687610A (en) * | 2014-09-12 | 2017-05-17 | Fl史密斯公司 | System and method for enhanced metal recovery during atmospheric leaching of metal sulfides |
CN107109521A (en) * | 2014-11-20 | 2017-08-29 | Fl史密斯公司 | The activation system and method for metal recovery are improved in metal sulfide normal pressure leaching |
US10781501B2 (en) * | 2014-11-20 | 2020-09-22 | Flsmidth A/S | Activation system and method for enhancing metal recovery during atmospheric leaching of metal sulfides |
US20170356063A1 (en) * | 2014-11-20 | 2017-12-14 | Flsmidth A/S | Activation system and method for enhancing metal recovery during atmospheric leaching of metal sulfides |
US10407753B2 (en) | 2014-12-19 | 2019-09-10 | Flsmidth A/S | Methods for rapidly leaching chalcopyrite |
CN107429311A (en) * | 2014-12-19 | 2017-12-01 | Fl史密斯公司 | Method for Rapid Leaching chalcopyrite |
CN107429311B (en) * | 2014-12-19 | 2019-09-03 | Fl史密斯公司 | Method for Rapid Leaching chalcopyrite |
WO2016100981A1 (en) * | 2014-12-19 | 2016-06-23 | Flsmidth A/S | Methods for rapidly leaching chalcopyrite |
WO2016183611A1 (en) * | 2015-05-19 | 2016-11-24 | Orway Mineral Consultants (Wa) Pty Ltd | A truncated hydrometallurgical method for the removal of radionuclides from radioactive copper concentrates |
WO2016183610A1 (en) * | 2015-05-19 | 2016-11-24 | Orway Mineral Consultants (Wa) Pty Ltd | Improved hydrometallurgical method for the removal of radionuclides from radioactive copper concentrates |
CN105838903A (en) * | 2016-04-01 | 2016-08-10 | 北京工业大学 | Method for processing copper sulphide concentrates and preparing high-grade copper oxide concentrates based on self-propagating reacting |
US20210062294A1 (en) * | 2017-05-17 | 2021-03-04 | Flsmidth A/S | Activation system and method for enhancing metal recovery during atmospheric leaching of metal sulfides |
US11898221B2 (en) * | 2017-05-17 | 2024-02-13 | Flsmidth A/S | Activation system and method for enhancing metal recovery during atmospheric leaching of metal sulfides |
WO2022147078A1 (en) * | 2020-12-30 | 2022-07-07 | Vardner Jonathan | Reduction of chalcopyrite by an aqueous phase reducant to enable hydrometallurgical extraction of copper |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
BRPI0410935A (en) | 2006-06-27 |
PL205892B1 (en) | 2010-06-30 |
BRPI0410935B1 (en) | 2013-01-22 |
AU2003902803A0 (en) | 2003-06-19 |
PL379128A1 (en) | 2006-07-10 |
Similar Documents
Publication | Publication Date | Title |
---|---|---|
EP2540846B1 (en) | Process for precious metal recovery from a sulphide ore or concentrate or other feed material | |
EP1931807B1 (en) | Method for processing nickel bearing raw material in chloride-based leaching | |
US5919674A (en) | Copper recovery | |
US4594132A (en) | Chloride hydrometallurgical process for production of copper | |
WO2006087412A1 (en) | Method for the recovery of gold from sulphide concentrate | |
EP1303640B1 (en) | Processing elemental sulfur-bearing materials using high temperature pressure leaching for sulfuric acid production and metal recovery | |
US3816105A (en) | Hydrometallurgical process for extraction of copper and sulphur from copper iron sulphides | |
US8277539B2 (en) | Leaching process for copper concentrates containing arsenic and antimony compounds | |
CA2642673A1 (en) | Method for recovering copper from a copper sulphide ore | |
AU2001278015A1 (en) | Processing elemental sulfur-bearing materials using high temperature pressure leaching for sulfuric acid production and metal recovery | |
WO2004106561A1 (en) | Process of upgrading a copper concentrate | |
CA1110076A (en) | Metal leaching from concentrates using nitrogen dioxide in acids | |
US20230193418A1 (en) | Sulphide oxidation in leaching of minerals | |
AU2004243345B2 (en) | Process of upgrading a copper concentrate | |
CN100365139C (en) | Method for producing concentrates | |
CA1258181A (en) | Process for producing enriched mineral ore concentrates | |
Hackl | Reduction leaching of chalcopyrite | |
WO1996025361A1 (en) | Copper precipitation process | |
JP2012077373A (en) | Method of recovering gold from leached residue of copper sulfide mineral |
Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
AK | Designated states |
Kind code of ref document: A1 Designated state(s): AE AG AL AM AT AU AZ BA BB BG BR BW BY BZ CA CH CN CO CR CU CZ DE DK DM DZ EC EE EG ES FI GB GD GE GH GM HR HU ID IL IN IS JP KE KG KP KR KZ LC LK LR LS LT LU LV MA MD MG MK MN MW MX MZ NA NI NO NZ OM PG PH PL PT RO RU SC SD SE SG SK SL SY TJ TM TN TR TT TZ UA UG US UZ VC VN YU ZA ZM ZW |
|
AL | Designated countries for regional patents |
Kind code of ref document: A1 Designated state(s): BW GH GM KE LS MW MZ NA SD SL SZ TZ UG ZM ZW AM AZ BY KG KZ MD RU TJ TM AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HU IE IT LU MC NL PL PT RO SE SI SK TR BF BJ CF CG CI CM GA GN GQ GW ML MR NE SN TD TG |
|
121 | Ep: the epo has been informed by wipo that ep was designated in this application | ||
DPEN | Request for preliminary examination filed prior to expiration of 19th month from priority date (pct application filed from 20040101) | ||
WWE | Wipo information: entry into national phase |
Ref document number: 2004243345 Country of ref document: AU |
|
ENP | Entry into the national phase |
Ref document number: 2004243345 Country of ref document: AU Date of ref document: 20040603 Kind code of ref document: A |
|
WWP | Wipo information: published in national office |
Ref document number: 2004243345 Country of ref document: AU |
|
ENP | Entry into the national phase |
Ref document number: PI0410935 Country of ref document: BR |
|
122 | Ep: pct application non-entry in european phase |