JOSEPH M KEANE
Engineers in Continental, AZ
License number
Pennsylvania PE030963E
Category
Engineers
Type
Professional Engineer
Address
Address
2
Continental, AZ 85629
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
Professional information
Recovery Of Copper Values From Copper Ores
US Patent:
6319389, Nov 20, 2001
Filed:
Nov 24, 1999
Appl. No.:
9/448917
Inventors:
Gearld F. Fountain - Globe AZ
Joseph M. Keane - Sahuarita AZ
Joseph M. Keane - Sahuarita AZ
Assignee:
Hydromet Systems, L.L.C. - Tucson AZ
International Classification:
C25D 304, C22B 1500
US Classification:
205583
Abstract:
Copper values are efficiently recovered from a copper ore, including secondary sulfides, by first crushing the ore to a particle size P-80 of about 1 to 2 inches, then grinding the so crushed ore to a particle size P-80 of between Tyler 4 mesh and 20 mesh, and then classifying the ground ore into a fines fraction of less than 65 mesh and one or more coarse fractions of more than 65 mesh. The fines are then leached or subjected to flotation to form a concentrate which is leached to form a pregnant leach solution. In parallel, the coarse fraction or fractions are leached also to form a pregnant leach solution. The leaching operations are carried out with ferric sulfate lixiviant at atmospheric pressure and elevated temperature. During leaching ferric sulfate is reduced to ferrous sulfate. The pregnant leach solutions are then subjected to solvent extraction to recover the copper values and subsequently to electrowinning to produce copper metal.