The present disclosure discloses a wet process for recovering valuable metals from a lithium battery. In the method, a waste lithium battery powder is subjected to selective leaching under the condition that a hydrogen sulfide gas is introduced through pressurization, such that Mn.sup.2+, Li.sup.+, and Al.sup.3+ metal ions enter a first-stage leaching liquor and nickel, cobalt, copper, and iron exist in a first-stage leaching residue in the form of a sulfide; then a pH of the first-stage leaching liquor is adjusted to remove aluminum and manganese, which achieves extremely thorough metal separation and leads to relatively pure products; a first-stage leaching residue is subjected to leaching in an acid liquor under a negative pressure, such that the sulfides of nickel, cobalt, iron, and copper are dissolved in a second-stage leaching liquor, and a hydrogen sulfide gas produced can be recycled in the first-stage leaching procedure through pressurization.

A method for recovering a valuable substance is provided. The method includes: a thermal treatment step of thermally treating a target containing a valuable substance while supporting a target storing unit, in which the target is stored, by a supporting unit that can support the target storing unit, wherein the thermally treating includes heating a gas present in a region, in which the supporting unit is positioned, by a flame for thermally treating the target such that the target storing unit is not contacted by the flame; and a valuable substance recovering step of recovering the valuable substance from a thermally treated product of the target obtained in the thermal treatment step.

A method for recovering a valuable substance is provided. The method includes: a thermal treatment step of thermally treating a target containing a valuable substance while supporting a target storing unit, in which the target is stored, by a supporting unit that can support the target storing unit, wherein the thermally treating includes heating a gas present in a region, in which the supporting unit is positioned, by a flame for thermally treating the target such that the target storing unit is not contacted by the flame; and a valuable substance recovering step of recovering the valuable substance from a thermally treated product of the target obtained in the thermal treatment step.

Disclosed herein is a method for reducing a metal oxide in a metal containing precursor. The method comprises providing a reaction mixture comprising the metal oxide containing precursorand an aluminium reductant; heating the reaction mixture in the presence of solid or gaseous aluminium chloride to temperature at which reactionsthatresultin the metal oxide being reduced are initiated; controlling reaction conditions whereby the reaction mixture is prevented from reaching a temperature at which thermal runaway can occur; and isolating reaction products that include reduced metal oxide.

Disclosed herein is a method for reducing a metal oxide in a metal containing precursor. The method comprises providing a reaction mixture comprising the metal oxide containing precursorand an aluminium reductant; heating the reaction mixture in the presence of solid or gaseous aluminium chloride to temperature at which reactionsthatresultin the metal oxide being reduced are initiated; controlling reaction conditions whereby the reaction mixture is prevented from reaching a temperature at which thermal runaway can occur; and isolating reaction products that include reduced metal oxide.

A method of processing a pyrite-containing slurry is disclosed. The method includes removing pyrite from the pyrite-containing slurry and forming (i) an inert stream and (ii) a pyrite-containing material, with the pyrite-containing slurry including tailings from a tailings dam or an ore processing plant. The method also includes leaching a metal sulfide-containing material and the pyrite-containing material with a leach liquor and microbes. A method of leaching a metal sulfide-containing material is also disclosed. A flotation circuit for an ore processing plant for a metal sulfide-containing material is also disclosed.

Provided is a method for selecting arsenic-containing minerals.

A peptide comprising an amino acids sequence according to the following formula:

(T,S,N,Q)-(L,I,V,F,A)-(E,D)-(R,K,N,M,D,C,P,Q,S,E,T,G,W,H,Y)-(L,I,V,F,A)-(R,K,N,M,D,C,P,Q,S,E,T,G,W,H,Y)-(L,I,V,F,A)-(L,I,V,F,A)-(L,I,V,F,A)-(R,H,K)-(T,S,N,Q)-(T,S,N,Q)

wherein one amino acid is respectively selected from each group defined by paired parentheses.

A process for the production of a crude solder composition includes the provision of a first solder refining slag that includes tin and/or lead. The process further includes the steps of partially reducing the first solder refining slag, thereby forming a crude solder metal composition and a second solder refining slag, followed by separating the second solder refining slag from the crude solder metal composition, and partially reducing the second solder refining slag, thereby forming a second lead-tin based metal composition and a second spent slag followed by separating the second spent slag from the second lead-tin based metal composition A copper containing fresh feed is added to step (ii), preferably before reducing the second solder refining slag.

The content of oxygen in molten metallic copper is reduced during the copper refining process by adding pure carbon monoxide, produced by electrolysis of carbon dioxide in a solid oxide electrolysis cell (SOEC), thereby removing oxygen through the reduction of CuO to Cu. This way, the purity of the metallic copper is increased.

Some variations provide a composition for reducing a metal ore, the composition comprising a carbon-metal ore particulate, wherein the carbon-metal ore particulate comprises at least about 0.1 wt % to at most about 50 wt % fixed carbon on a moisture-free and ash-free basis, and wherein the carbon is at least 50% renewable carbon as determined from a measurement of the .sup.14C/.sup.12C isotopic ratio. Some variations provide a process for reducing a metal ore, comprising: providing a biomass feedstock; pyrolyzing the feedstock to generate a biogenic reagent comprising carbon and a pyrolysis off-gas comprising hydrogen or carbon monoxide; obtaining a metal ore comprising a metal oxide; combining the carbon with the metal ore, to generate a carbon-metal ore particulate; optionally pelletizing the carbon-metal ore particulate; and utilizing the pyrolysis off-gas to chemically reduce the metal oxide to elemental metal, such as iron. The disclosed technologies are environmentally superior to conventional processes based on coal.