A process for recovering copper from copper sulfide minerals, the method comprising the steps of leaching copper sulfide minerals with an aqueous solution of ammonium chloride containing cupric chloride at a temperature of between about 40 C. and about 95 C. at atmospheric pressure, to produce a solution of cuprous/cupric chloride.

A method of controlling the acid balance in a high chloride heap leach process tomaximise the copper dissolution in a cure step and to increase overall copper recovery which include an agglomeration stage in which acid and process solutions are combined with the ore prior to stacking to form a heap followed by a cure phase to leach a portion of the copper in the ore in the heap followed by an irrigated leach phase in which the remaining copper minerals are leached and copper is recovered from a pregnant leach solution by a solvent extraction step followed by an electrowinning step wherein the acid concentration in the pregnant leach solution which reports to the solvent extraction step is less than 10 g/L to allow effective copper recovery from the pregnant leach solution in the solvent extraction step.

The present disclosure relates to hydrometallurgical technologies wherein liquid-liquid extraction, also called solvent extraction, is used to separate and concentrate metal ions. Exemplary embodiments relate to solvent extraction of copper and a diluent useful in copper solvent extraction. A bio-based composition can fulfil physico-chemical properties that are desired for solvent extraction. Moreover, a composition is disclosed, which in addition to providing more environmental friendly alternative, can also improve the solvent extraction process of copper.

A solution for leaching metals from clay containing ore and a method of leaching ore is described. The solution comprises a cyanide; a wetting agent; and a clay stabilizing polymer.

A modified selective recirculation circuit has a loading stage, a stripping stage and a filtering stage for use in processing a feed stream or slurry containing mineral particles. The stripping stage forms a first loop with the loading stage, a second loop with the filtering stage. The loading stage has a loading mixer and a loading washing screen. The stripping stage has a stripping mixer and a stripping washing screen. The loading mixer receives the slurry and causes barren media in the circuit to contact with the slurry so that the mineral particles in the slurry are loaded onto the barren media. The media is directed to the stripping stage where the mineral particles are removed from the media. The barren media is recycled to the loading stage. The stripping solution recovered from the filtering stage is returned to the stripping stage and the mineral particles are discharged as concentrate.

A solution for leaching metals from clay containing ore and a method of leaching ore is described. The solution comprises a cyanide; a wetting agent; and a clay stabilizing polymer.

A mineral processing method capable of efficiently separating a copper mineral from a molybdenum mineral is provided. The mineral processing method includes: a conditioning step of adding sulfite as a surface treatment agent to a mineral slurry containing a copper mineral and a molybdenum mineral; and a flotation step of performing flotation using the mineral slurry after the conditioning step. The hydrophilicity of the copper mineral can be selectively enhanced by sulfite, so as to be able to produce a difference in hydrophilicity between the copper mineral and the molybdenum mineral. Therefore, the molybdenum mineral can be selectively caused to float, and the copper mineral and the molybdenum mineral can be efficiently separated from each other.

The present invention is in the field of surfactants to extract a platinum group metal or gold, in particular palladium, from organic compositions. In particular, the invention concerns the use of surfactants to back-extract a platinum group metal or gold, in particular palladium, from organic compositions further comprising an extractant of said platinum group metal or gold, in particular palladium from an aqueous solution.

The present disclosure relates to hydrometallurgical technologies wherein liquid-liquid extraction, also called solvent extraction, is used to separate and concentrate metal ions. Exemplary embodiments relate to solvent extraction of copper and a diluent useful in copper solvent extraction. A bio-based composition can fulfil physico-chemical properties that are desired for solvent extraction. Moreover, a composition is disclosed, which in addition to providing more environmental friendly alternative, can also improve the solvent extraction process of copper.

A solution for leaching metals from clay containing ore and a method of leaching ore is described. The solution comprises a cyanide; a wetting agent; and a clay stabilizing polymer.