Contemplated is a sensor system for use with a measuring device. The measuring device being of the type adapted to measure the volume of a desired solid component in a sample volume of a solid-liquid slurry obtained from either a carbon-in-pulp or carbon-in-leach process. The solid-liquid slurry comprises granular carbon particles, ore pulp, and water. The carbon-in-pulp or carbon-in-leach process includes at least one retention tank. The measurement device including: a receptacle for receiving the sample volume of the slurry; a screen provided in the receptacle for separating out the desired solid component from a remainder of the slurry. The solid component is retained in the receptacle to form a bed therein and the remainder is exhausted from the receptacle. The sensor system measures in either the retained solid component, or the exhausted remainder, or both one of: pH; dissolved oxygen; pulp density or carbon content.

Contemplated is a sensor system for use with a measuring device. The measuring device being of the type adapted to measure the volume of a desired solid component in a sample volume of a solid-liquid slurry obtained from either a carbon-in-pulp or carbon-in-leach process. The solid-liquid slurry comprises granular carbon particles, ore pulp, and water. The carbon-in-pulp or carbon-in-leach process includes at least one retention tank. The measurement device including: a receptacle for receiving the sample volume of the slurry; a screen provided in the receptacle for separating out the desired solid component from a remainder of the slurry. The solid component is retained in the receptacle to form a bed therein and the remainder is exhausted from the receptacle. The sensor system measures in either the retained solid component, or the exhausted remainder, or both one of: pH; dissolved oxygen; pulp density or carbon content.

The present invention relates to a method for recovering lithium from brine, and provides a method for recovering lithium from brine, the method comprising: (a) an impurity removal step of adding a carbonate supply source to brine including lithium, magnesium and calcium to precipitate and remove magnesium and calcium impurities; (b) a pH adjusting step of adding an acid to the brine from which the impurities have been removed, to adjust the pH of the brine; (c) a lithium-aluminum compound recovery step of adding an aluminum supply source to the pH-adjusted brine to recover a lithium-aluminum compound; (d) a lithium sulfate and aluminum oxide formation step of adding the lithium-aluminum compound to a sulfur supply source and calcining same to form lithium sulfate and aluminum oxide; and (e) a lithium sulfate solution yield step of selectively dissolving lithium sulfate from among the formed lithium sulfate and aluminum oxide to yield a lithium sulfate solution.

A process for leaching a mineral particulate material comprising the steps of feeding the mineral particulate material to a leaching step (10) in which at least one valuable metal in the mineral particulate material is leached into a leach solution to form a pregnant leach liquor and a solid residue containing undissolved mineral matter, the leaching step being conducted under conditions such that elemental sulphur is formed in the leaching step, wherein beads or particles that take up elemental sulphur are added to the leaching step such that elemental sulphur is taken up by or collects on the beads or particles, and separating the beads or particles from the pregnant leach liquor and the solid residue. The beads or particles may be treated to remove sulphur and the beads or particles are returned to the leaching step. Alternatively the mineral doesn't need to comprise a soluble component and can be a refractory sulphide of iron and/or arsenic containing precious metals that require oxidation before downstream conventional processes such as cyanidation.

A process for leaching a mineral particulate material comprising the steps of feeding the mineral particulate material to a leaching step (10) in which at least one valuable metal in the mineral particulate material is leached into a leach solution to form a pregnant leach liquor and a solid residue containing undissolved mineral matter, the leaching step being conducted under conditions such that elemental sulphur is formed in the leaching step, wherein beads or particles that take up elemental sulphur are added to the leaching step such that elemental sulphur is taken up by or collects on the beads or particles, and separating the beads or particles from the pregnant leach liquor and the solid residue. The beads or particles may be treated to remove sulphur and the beads or particles are returned to the leaching step. Alternatively the mineral doesn't need to comprise a soluble component and can be a refractory sulphide of iron and/or arsenic containing precious metals that require oxidation before downstream conventional processes such as cyanidation.

A method for recovering lithium from a lithium-containing solution is provided. A lithium-containing solution with an adjusted pH value or an unadjusted pH value is mixed with a meta-aluminate, and the pH value is adjusted to weak acid/neutral, so that lithium can be separated from the lithium-containing solution in the form of a precipitate of Li.sub.aX.Math.2Al(OH).sub.3.Math.nH.sub.2O. Then, the precipitate is converted into a lithium adsorbent of (1-m)Li.sub.aX.Math.2Al(OH).sub.3.Math.nH.sub.2O and a Li.sub.aX-containing filtrate through desorption of lithium. High-purity Li.sub.2CO.sub.3 is obtained by performing precipitation of lithium on the Li.sub.aX-containing filtrate.

A method for recovering lithium from a lithium-containing solution is provided. A lithium-containing solution with an adjusted pH value or an unadjusted pH value is mixed with a meta-aluminate, and the pH value is adjusted to weak acid/neutral, so that lithium can be separated from the lithium-containing solution in the form of a precipitate of Li.sub.aX.Math.2Al(OH).sub.3.Math.nH.sub.2O. Then, the precipitate is converted into a lithium adsorbent of (1-m)Li.sub.aX.Math.2Al(OH).sub.3.Math.nH.sub.2O and a Li.sub.aX-containing filtrate through desorption of lithium. High-purity Li.sub.2CO.sub.3 is obtained by performing precipitation of lithium on the Li.sub.aX-containing filtrate.

The invention relates to a method for recovering precious metals from electronic waste utilising biometallurgical techniques. In one aspect, a method of recovering one or more target metals from electronic waste, includes (a) removing at least a portion of non-target material from the electronic waste or grinding to a preselected size particle to give pre-processed electronic waste; (b) contacting the pre-processed electronic waste with a lixiviant such that at least a portion of the target metal(s) dissolve into the lixiviant to produce a pregnant solution; (c) contacting a microorganism with the pregnant solution such that at least a portion of the target metal(s) ions biosorb to the microorganism wherein the microorganism becomes metal laden and the pregnant solution becomes barren; (d) substantially separating the metal laden microorganism from the barren solution; and (e) recovery of the target metal(s) from the metal laden microorganism.

The invention relates to a method for recovering precious metals from electronic waste utilising biometallurgical techniques. In one aspect, a method of recovering one or more target metals from electronic waste, includes (a) removing at least a portion of non-target material from the electronic waste or grinding to a preselected size particle to give pre-processed electronic waste; (b) contacting the pre-processed electronic waste with a lixiviant such that at least a portion of the target metal(s) dissolve into the lixiviant to produce a pregnant solution; (c) contacting a microorganism with the pregnant solution such that at least a portion of the target metal(s) ions biosorb to the microorganism wherein the microorganism becomes metal laden and the pregnant solution becomes barren; (d) substantially separating the metal laden microorganism from the barren solution; and (e) recovery of the target metal(s) from the metal laden microorganism.

This invention relates to treated geothermal brine compositions containing reduced concentrations of lithium, iron and silica compared to the untreated brines. Exemplary compositions contain concentration of lithium ranges from 0 to 200 mg/kg, concentration of silica ranges from 0 to 30 mg/kg, concentration of iron ranges from 0 to 300 mg/kg. Exemplary compositions also contain reduced concentrations of elements like arsenic, barium, and lead.