The present disclosure provides a thiodiglycolamic acid extractant, and a preparation method and use thereof, belonging to the technical fields of extractant synthesis and extraction separation in the field of hydrometallurgy. In the present disclosure, the preparation method includes: mixing thiodiglycolic anhydride, an alkyl-substituted secondary amine, and an organic reagent in proportion; subjecting a resulting mixed reactant to a reaction I by stirring in an ice-water bath for 10 min to 60 min, and then to a reaction II by stirring at 20 C. to 50 C. for 6 h to 24 h; after the reaction II is completed, conducting extraction on an obtained product, and subjecting an obtained organic phase to washing, drying, suction filtration, and rotary evaporation to obtain the extractant.

The present invention relates to a metal leach and recovery process. The process involves subjecting a metal bearing material to a reactive process by combining said metal bearing material with a leaching agent to liberate at least one metal value and forming a first aqueous leach pulp. This first aqueous leach pulp is subjected to a solid liquid separation step thereby providing a first clarified aqueous leach solution and a second aqueous leach pulp. The first clarified aqueous leach solution is then subjected to solvent extraction thereby obtaining the first aqueous raffinate. The second aqueous leach pulp is subjected to at least two further solid liquid separation steps of which some or all are in a counter current decantation (CCD) arrangement. Each of the solid liquid separation steps of the CCD arrangement results in an aqueous liquor and aqueous suspension of solids wherein each aqueous suspension of solids resulting from each solid liquid separation step of the CCD arrangement is passed to the subsequent solid liquid separation step and the suspension of solids resulting from the final solid liquid separation step is removed from the process. Further, each aqueous liquor resulting from each solid liquid separation step of the CCD arrangement is passed to the previous solid liquid separation step. The further solid liquid separation steps result in at least one further clarified aqueous leach solution. The at least one further clarified aqueous leach solution is/are subjected to solvent extraction thereby obtaining at least one further aqueous raffinate. At least a portion of the one or more of the at least one further aqueous raffinates is fed into the final solid liquid separation is of the CCD arrangement. The process provides a flocculation system comprising either: (i) addition of an organic polymeric flocculant to or prior to at least one solid liquid separation step, which polymeric flocculant is formed from 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulphonic acid (ATBS) or salts thereof as a homopolymer or copolymer with at least one water-soluble ethylenically unsaturated monomer; or (ii) addition of an organic polymeric flocculant and at least one support agent to or prior to at least one solid liquid separation step, which at least one support agent is selected from at least one of the group consisting of oxidizing agents, reducing agents, irradiation and free radical producing agents. The process provides significantly improved metal extraction and recovery.

A method of leaching copper from a porphyry copper ore body within a subsurface volume of rock can include forming an injection well in the ore body and stimulating the injection well in a hybrid stimulation phase including a first hydraulic fracturing phase at an injection rate and pressure exceeding Sh.sub.min to form hydraulic fractures that intersect with a first set of natural fractures; a first hydroshearing phase holding the injection rate until hydraulic fracture growth is allowed to arrest; mapping the first set of natural fractures using a micro-seismic array to form a stimulated natural fracture map; and emplacing a proppant in the fractures. A production well can be drilled into the stimulated propped fractures, and the production well can be stimulated in a second hydroshearing phase to stimulate a portion of the first set of natural fractures intersecting with the production well.

Methods for extracting a target metal from a mixed metal input are described. The method includes milling the mixed metal input with ammonium bicarbonate to form a milled solid product, aging the milled solid product, and leaching the target metal from the aged solid product.