In a method for recovering a copper sulfide concentrate by froth flotation from an ore containing an iron sulfide, wet grinding of the ore with grinding media made of high chromium cast iron alloy having a chromium content of from 10 to 35% by weight is combined with an addition of hydrogen peroxide to the conditioned mineral pulp before or during flotation in order to improve concentrate grade and recovery of copper sulfides.

According to the present invention there is provided a method for the extraction of lithium from one or more lithium-containing ores such as spodumene, the inventive method comprising the steps of: milling said ore/s to a predetermined average particle size; optionally calcining the milled ore; further optionally performing a secondary milling step; providing an aqueous suspension of the one or more lithium-containing ores at a predetermined solids concentration; subjecting the one or more lithium-containing ores to an aqueous extraction medium defined by a predetermined partial pressure of CO.sub.2, a predetermined extraction temperature, over a predetermined time; and obtaining technical grade lithium carbonate/lithium bicarbonate therefrom. Optional concentration and/or precipitation/purification steps may follow.

A method of charging a pre-packaged charge in a metallurgical or refining furnace includes providing a disposable metal container having at least one attachment member and forming a pre-packaged charge by loading scrap material into the metal container. The method also includes releasably coupling the at least one attachment member of the container to a lifting device, and then de-coupling the pre-packaged charge from the lifting device so that the combination of the scrap material and the disposable metal container are charged in the furnace.

Disclosed herein are methods of using reactor outputs to purify materials. For example, methods of using acid and/or base produced in a reactor to purify materials (e.g., limestone, dolomite, waste streams, and/or ash) are described herein. Related systems are also described.

The present application relates to methods for leaching and extraction of precious metals. For example, the present application relates to methods of leaching gold, palladium and/or platinum from a substance comprising gold, palladium and/or platinum (such as a gold-containing ore or a platinum group metal (PGM) concentrate) using an organic solvent that is water-miscible or partially water-miscible.

The present application relates to methods for leaching and extraction of precious metals. For example, the present application relates to methods of leaching gold, palladium and/or platinum from a substance comprising gold, palladium and/or platinum (such as a gold-containing ore or a platinum group metal (PGM) concentrate) using an organic solvent that is water-miscible or partially water-miscible.

Methods for recovering gold from a refractory gold ore and concentrate are described. The method can include leaching the refractory gold ore and concentrate with the alkaline reagent under ambient or near-ambient conditions and a subsequent gold complexation. The method can optionally include separating a gold-containing leachate from a gold-unlocked solid residue obtained during the leaching step and performing a subsequent complexation on the gold-unlocked solid residue and optionally gold complexation on the gold-containing leachate. These methods can increase the gold recovery compared to conventional methods.

The present invention comprises a method of shredding treated medical waste, cleaning it of all traces of biological gunk, and sorting it into separate components for recycling. To clean biological gunk from materials, all materials must be first shredded into small parts to expose the interior. The cleaning is performed by submerging the gunk coated materials into a caustic solution that breaks down and dissolves the gunk off of the materials. The caustic solution may comprise sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, or a similar chemical, which is highly effective in producing a corrosive chemical that can break down blood, bone marrow, urine, unused medication, food waste, organs, tissues and any other biologic materials. After all of the biological material is removed from the cleaned materials, they are sorted into component materials, such as plastics, metals, rubbers, glass, etc.

Described herein is a method for recycling aluminum alloy wheels. The method includes the steps of providing a feed of aluminum alloy wheels of a particular alloy; fragmenting the aluminum alloy wheels into a plurality of fragments, such that newly exposed surfaces of the plurality of fragments have an interior composition; determining a newly exposed surface indicia for distinguishing each newly exposed surface in the feed of aluminum alloy wheels; determining an aggregate composition estimate by determining a plurality of composition measurements of the material of fragments of the plurality of fragments; and providing the plurality of fragments, and the aggregate composition estimate, for use in manufacturing at least one component made from aluminum alloy.

The invention relates to a method for recovering lithium from lithium-sulfur accumulators, wherein the accumulators are discharged, shredded, and pre-cleaned by sieves or screens to separate housing and electricity collector parts, the remaining material is dispersed in an aqueous medium, the insoluble components are removed by filtration and the electrolyte by phase separation, followed by a method for separating the lithium from the remaining filtrate.