Hydrometallurgical solvent extraction processes for recovering value metal ion species such as any of manganese, cobalt, nickel, and/or lithium from solutions derived from recycled electronics and/or batteries and containing mixed-metal ions by separating the value metal ions using selective stripping techniques as herein described, are provided.

A method of inhibiting degradation of an extractant by utilizing several auxiliary means in the DSX process: includes (a) preparing adjustment of the concentration of an extractant of a DSX solvent to a certain range; (b) extracting a metal contained in a pregnant leached solution by adjusting the ratio of the extractant and the diluent in the DSX solvent to a certain range; (c) measuring the pH of the aqueous phase solution by separating mixture into the aqueous phase solution and the organic phase solvent using a settler after step of extracting; (d) controlling the pH by adding soda ash (Na.sub.2CO.sub.3) so as to maintain the pH of the aqueous phase solution to be 3 to 7; and (e) scrubbing with scrubbing solution having a zinc concentration of 2 to 20 g/L by zinc sulfate (ZnSO.sub.4) to remove the manganese from the organic phase solvent containing the extracted metal.

A method of inhibiting degradation of an extractant by utilizing several auxiliary means in the DSX process: includes (a) preparing adjustment of the concentration of an extractant of a DSX solvent to a certain range; (b) extracting a metal contained in a pregnant leached solution by adjusting the ratio of the extractant and the diluent in the DSX solvent to a certain range; (c) measuring the pH of the aqueous phase solution by separating mixture into the aqueous phase solution and the organic phase solvent using a settler after step of extracting; (d) controlling the pH by adding soda ash (Na.sub.2CO.sub.3) so as to maintain the pH of the aqueous phase solution to be 3 to 7; and (e) scrubbing with scrubbing solution having a zinc concentration of 2 to 20 g/L by zinc sulfate (ZnSO.sub.4) to remove the manganese from the organic phase solvent containing the extracted metal.

Methods and apparatus for liquid/solid separation for use in applications such as dewatering fine particulate solids, and recovery of valuable metals from ore in a leaching process are provided. One application relates to methods of agitation leaching of metals such as gold from gold-bearing feedstock. A slurry is formed in a tank by agitation, and allowed to settle. A filter bed forms to drain the liquid from the tank, and a vertical screen pipe such as a well point addresses the formation of an impervious film on the upper surface of the filter bed.

THIS invention relates a method for processing a sulphide ore containing metal values comprising the integration of a sand heap leach (10) and a flotation process (12), providing a method which is suited to processing ores with significant quantities of leachable sulphides. The method includes a comminution step (14), and the classification of the comminuted ore into an oversize coarse fraction (16), a fine fraction (18) suitable for fine flotation and optionally an intermediate fraction (20) suitable for coarse flotation. A concentrate (30) containing iron sulphides from a fine flotation step (22) and optionally a concentrate (36) from a coarse flotation step (34) are blended with the oversize coarse fraction (16), to obtain a blended ore (39) is stacked and subjected to a heap leach process (40).

The present disclosure relates to the use of carbonaceous matter and a reagent comprising a thiocarbonyl functional group, for example, in a method for extracting a base metal such as copper from a material comprising the base metal. Such methods can comprise contacting the material under acidic conditions with the carbonaceous matter and the reagent comprising the thiocarbonyl functional group; and optionally recovering the base metal.

The present disclosure relates to the use of carbonaceous matter and a reagent comprising a thiocarbonyl functional group, for example, in a method for extracting a base metal such as copper from a material comprising the base metal. Such methods can comprise contacting the material under acidic conditions with the carbonaceous matter and the reagent comprising the thiocarbonyl functional group; and optionally recovering the base metal.

The secondary amide contained in the extraction system consists of a single compound or a mixture of two or more compounds, wherein R.sub.1 is selected from a C2˜C12 alkyl, or a C3˜C12 cycloalkyl containing a single-ring structure, R.sub.2 is selected from a C1˜C11 alkyl, or a C3˜C11 cycloalkyl containing a single-ring structure; the total number of carbon atoms in the molecule is 12˜18. With a volume ratio of an organic phase and a brine phase being 1˜10:1, at a brine density of 1.25˜1.38 g/cm.sup.3 and at a temperature of 0˜50° C., a single-stage or multi-stage countercurrent extraction and a stripping are conducted to obtain a water phase with a low magnesium-lithium ratio, which is subjected to concentration, impurity removal and preparation to get lithium chloride, lithium carbonate and lithium hydroxide respectively. Water is used for stripping, greatly reducing the consumption of acid and base, and the separation process is shortened.

The secondary amide contained in the extraction system consists of a single compound or a mixture of two or more compounds, wherein R.sub.1 is selected from a C2˜C12 alkyl, or a C3˜C12 cycloalkyl containing a single-ring structure, R.sub.2 is selected from a C1˜C11 alkyl, or a C3˜C11 cycloalkyl containing a single-ring structure; the total number of carbon atoms in the molecule is 12˜18. With a volume ratio of an organic phase and a brine phase being 1˜10:1, at a brine density of 1.25˜1.38 g/cm.sup.3 and at a temperature of 0˜50° C., a single-stage or multi-stage countercurrent extraction and a stripping are conducted to obtain a water phase with a low magnesium-lithium ratio, which is subjected to concentration, impurity removal and preparation to get lithium chloride, lithium carbonate and lithium hydroxide respectively. Water is used for stripping, greatly reducing the consumption of acid and base, and the separation process is shortened.

The extraction system contains secondary amides and alkyl alcohols which are separately used as the extractants for extracting lithium and boron and consist of a single compound or a mixture of two or more compounds, and the total number of carbon atoms in their molecules are 12˜18 and 8˜20 respectively; the extraction system has a freezing point less than 0° C. With a volume ratio of an organic phase and a brine phase being 1˜10:1, at a brine density of 1.25˜1.38 g/cm.sup.3, at a brine pH value of 0˜7 and at a temperature of 0˜50° C., a single-stage or multi-stage countercurrent extraction and a stripping are conducted to obtain a water phase with a low magnesium-lithium ratio, which is subjected to concentration, impurity removal and preparation to get lithium chloride, lithium carbonate, lithium hydroxide and boric acid respectively. Water is used for stripping, greatly reducing the consumption of acid and base.