A method of operating a copper or other metal value concentrator is disclosed. According to some embodiments, the method may comprise producing a final copper concentrate; periodically or continuously analyzing the produced final copper concentrate to obtain a grade value of the produced final copper concentrate; and diverting the produced final copper concentrate to a downstream smelting operation if/when the grade value of the produced final copper concentrate is at or above a minimum acceptable grade threshold; or, diverting the produced final copper concentrate to a downstream hydrometallurgical operation capable of producing copper cathode or other saleable copper product from the produced final copper concentrate, if/when the grade value of the produced final copper concentrate is below said minimum acceptable grade threshold. A copper concentrator capable of conducting the aforementioned method steps is also disclosed.

A method of processing a pyrite-containing slurry including removing pyrite from the pyrite-containing slurry and forming (i) an inert stream and (ii) a pyrite-containing material. Using the pyrite-containing material in a downstream leach step in which pyrite in the pyrite-containing material generates acid and heat that facilitates leaching a metal, such as copper or nickel or zinc or cobalt, from a metal-containing material.

Copper is produced by a looping oxidizing process wherein oxidation of copper sulfide concentrate to molten blister copper by conversion with copper oxides (and optionally oxygen from air) in a one step, molten bath operation to produce molten blister copper, iron oxide slag, and rich SO.sub.2 off gas. The blister copper is treated in an anode furnace to reduce the iron content and oxidize residual sulfur, and prepare it for either electrolysis or reoxidation.

An electrochemical system and process are provided to convert an amount of chalcopyrite (CuFeS.sub.2) to a product including copper ions. In an electrochemical reactor, a potential is applied across an anode and a cathode to convert the chalcopyrite to an intermediate, chalcocite (Cu.sub.2S). The anode is covered to prevent contact with the intermediate, thus limiting subsequent conversion of the intermediate to covellite (CuS) in favor of conversion to a material more suited to chemical oxidation, cuprite (Cu.sub.2O). For example, the anode can be covered with one or more layers of filter paper. Upon application of an oxidizing agent, the cuprite is oxidized to produce a product including copper ions. The cathode and covered anode allow for efficient and inexpensive processing. The cost of this technique is comparable to industry standards, and moreover, has a much smaller environmental footprint than heat-based copper extraction.

The invention discloses Method for whole component microwave fast digestion and precious metal extraction from ionic liquid of waste circuit board, and belongs to the field of hydrometallurgy. Based on the theory that microwaves can directly penetrate through a leaching medium to directly heat a circuit board, microwave-assisted leaching can reinforce mass transfer and heat transfer in the traditional leaching process, the leaching time is greatly shortened, and the leaching efficiency is improved. Before leaching, a waste circuit board does not need to be smashed, and environmental protection is achieved while energy is saved. The temperature rising process and reaction time of the reaction can be controlled, the whole process is conducted under the airtight condition, heat loss in the leaching process is avoided, the valuable leaching rate is high, the selectivity is high, and efficient leaching of valuable metal can be achieved. Precious metal leachate is extracted through imidazolium ionic liquid, the selectivity of the imidazolium ionic liquid to gold is high, and the co-extraction phenomenon of gold, nickel, copper and other ions is avoided. The method for extracting the precious metal leachate through ionic liquid is a green and clean recycling method, and the overall recycling rate of gold, nickel and copper can reach 99% or above

A method for leaching one or more target metals from a sulfide ore and/or concentrate containing such, the method comprising the steps of: (a) Exposing the ore and/or concentrate to an aqueous solution of chlorine-based oxidising species in which the hypochlorous acid comprises at least 10 mol % of the chlorine-based oxidising species; (b) Allowing and/or facilitating the oxidation of the target metals by the hypochlorous acid, thereby decreasing the pH such that the predominant chlorine-based oxidising species becomes chlorine; (c) Allowing and/or facilitating the oxidation of the target metals by the chlorine; (d) Allowing and/or facilitating the dissolution of the target metals by the solution species formed during the oxidation by hypochlorous acid and/or chlorine; and (e) Passing the pregnant solution produced thereby to a means for metal recovery.

A process of extracting copper from copper sulphide minerals which is enhanced at solution potentials exceeding 700 mV SHE, in the absence of any microorganism, by contacting the minerals in a pre-treatment phase using an acid solution at a high chloride content containing dissolved copper.

The present disclosure concerns an apparatus suitable for smelting and separating metals in flexible oxido-reduction conditions. More particularly, it concerns an apparatus for smelting metallurgical charges comprising a bath furnace susceptible to contain a molten charge up to a determined level, characterized in that the furnace is equipped with: at least one non-transfer plasma torch for the generation of first hot gases; at least one oxygas burner for the generation of second hot gasses; and, submerged injectors for injecting said first and second hot gases below said determined level.

A metallurgical method for operating an autogenous production circuit for producing metal(s), said method using one or more oxidizing agents generated electrolytically in a cell with one or more interfaces which allows anion exchange; said method comprising steps of: (a) leaching of mineral(s) or material(s) containing at least one metal of interest (LX) in a first cell (A) to produce a pregnant leach solution (2) and an acid-ferrous aqueous solution (8); (b) using solvent extraction process(es) or selection process(es) in a second cell (B) to concentrate said metal(s) of interest (SX) of said pregnant leach solution (2) to produce a rich electrolyte (5) and a raffinate solution (4), said raffinate solution (4) being recycled in said first cell (A); and (c) electrowinning (EW) in a third cell (C) of said rich electrolyte (5) received from said second cell (B) and said acid-ferrous aqueous solution (8) received from said first cell (A), for producing a metal cathode (6) and an acid-ferric acid solution (9), said acid-ferric acid solution (9) being recycled in said first cell (A), wherein said steps (a), (b) and (c) are performed in said autogenous circuit that includes said first, second and third cells (A, B, C) with one or more anionic interfaces producing anodic and cathode reactions.

Processing waste materials to recover valuable metals, such as copper, from the materials. Waste materials are further refined to concentrate the metallic material after the waste materials are initially processed. Processes include employing air separation and screening. Processes also include employing a dynamic sensor and a vacuum pressure separator to separate metals from other materials. A central processing facility may process metal concentrate from multiple concentration facilities.