A method of recovering a metal, such as copper or nickel or zinc or cobalt, from a metal sulfide-containing material in a mined material that is “non-economic” to recover metals from using conventional recovery options before the invention was made is disclosed. The method includes mixing (i) the metal sulfide-containing material and (ii) pyrite and forming agglomerates, leaching agglomerates with a leach liquor and microbes and removing a metal from the metal sulfide-containing material and forming a pregnant leach liquor containing metal, and recovering the metal from the pregnant leach liquor. A heap leaching operation for 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.

A method of recovering a metal, such as copper or nickel or zinc or cobalt, from a metal-containing material, such as a metal-containing material that has been categorized by a mine operator as being “non-economic” from the perspective of recovering the metal from the material. Mixing (i) the metal-containing material and (ii) pyrite and forming agglomerates. Leaching agglomerates with a leach liquor, with pyrite generating acid and heat that facilitate recovering the metal from the metal-containing material, and forming a pregnant leach liquor containing metal. Recovering the metal from the pregnant leach liquor.

A method of recovering a metal, such as copper or nickel or zinc or cobalt, from a metal-containing material, such as a metal-containing material that has been categorized by a mine operator as being “non-economic” from the perspective of recovering the metal from the material. Mixing (i) the metal-containing material and (ii) pyrite and forming agglomerates. Leaching agglomerates with a leach liquor, with pyrite generating acid and heat that facilitate recovering the metal from the metal-containing material, and forming a pregnant leach liquor containing metal. Recovering the metal from the pregnant leach liquor.

Process for the recovery of transition metal from spent lithium ion batteries containing nickel, wherein said process comprises the steps of (a) heating a lithium containing transition metal oxide material to a temperature in the range of from 200 to 900° C. in the presence of H.sub.2, (b) treatment of the product obtained in step (a) with an aqueous medium, (c) solid-solid separation for the removal of Ni from the solid residue of step (b), (d) recovery of Li as hydroxide or salt from the solution obtained in step (b), (e) extraction of Ni and, if applicable, Co from the solid Ni-concentrate obtained in step (c).

A system and method reclaims select components containing rare earth metals of electronic media electronic storage devices such as hard disk drives, solid state drives and hybrid hard drives and destroys the data containing components thereof. The system employs first devices, such as milling tools, to loosen various components of the storage device. The various loosened components include the components containing the rare earth metals and the data containing portions. Second devices, such as pick and place mechanisms, are provided for removing components from the storage device. A holding chassis receives the storage device, and moves the storage device for engagement with the first and the second devices. A section is provided for destroying the data containing portion of the electronic media storage device.

The present invention provides a method for treating at least one lithium ion battery enclosed in a housing containing aluminum, comprising heating the lithium ion battery using a combustion furnace in which a combustion object is incinerated by flames, while preventing the flames from being directly applied to the housing of the lithium ion battery.

Method for producing thermally processed material (50), the method comprising providing material (35) to be thermally processed, providing carbon-containing scrap material (20) from an electrolysis cell (10) for the production of primary aluminium (15), introducing the material (35) to be thermally processed into a furnace (40), processing the carbon-containing scrap material (20) to produce a scrap fuel (55), and thermally processing the material (35) to be thermally processed in the furnace (40) using energy generated by burning the scrap fuel (55) such as to produce thermally processed material (50).

An apparatus for carrying out size reduction of battery materials under immersion conditions can include a housing configured to hold an immersion liquid comprising at least one of sodium hydroxide and calcium hydroxide. A first feed chute may define an opening therein for receiving battery materials of a first type into the housing and a first submergible comminuting device may be disposed within the housing and submerged in the immersion liquid to receive the battery materials of the first type from the first feed chute. The first submergible comminuting device may be configured to cause a size reduction of the battery materials of the first type to form a first reduced-size battery material.

The invention relates to a treatment device and a method for removing coatings, comprising a vibratory conveyor with a conveying channel, which is designed in the manner of a trough, in order to form a treatment bath with a liquid decoating medium, comprising an inlet end and an outlet end for bulk material, wherein the conveying direction of the conveying channel runs from the inlet end to the outlet end. The conveying channel has below the surface of the treatment bath at least one feeding device and at least one discharging device for the decoating medium.

A method of charging a pre-packaged charge in a metallurgical or refining furnace includes providing a disposable metal container having at least one attachment member and forming a pre-packaged charge by loading scrap material into the metal container. The method also includes releasably coupling the at least one attachment member of the container to a lifting device, and then de-coupling the pre-packaged charge from the lifting device so that the combination of the scrap material and the disposable metal container are charged in the furnace.