A method for producing copper metal from copper concentrates without generating waste by: (a) oxidizing copper concentrate; (b) cleaning and cooling the gases; (c) feeding to a reduction reactor; (d) cleaning the gases; (e) discharging hot powders and calcines into water; (f) performing magnetic separation; (g) thickening and filtering the magnetic fraction; (h) floating silica and inert materials; (i) thickening and filtering the silica and inert materials; (j) thickening and filtering the final concentrate containing the copper metal and noble metals; (k) smelting the final concentrate of copper and noble metals; and (l) recirculating ground smelt slag to a roasting reactor.

A method for producing copper metal from copper concentrates without generating waste by: (a) oxidizing copper concentrate; (b) cleaning and cooling the gases; (c) feeding to a reduction reactor; (d) cleaning the gases; (e) discharging hot powders and calcines into water; (f) performing magnetic separation; (g) thickening and filtering the magnetic fraction; (h) floating silica and inert materials; (i) thickening and filtering the silica and inert materials; (j) thickening and filtering the final concentrate containing the copper metal and noble metals; (k) smelting the final concentrate of copper and noble metals; and (l) recirculating ground smelt slag to a roasting reactor.

A production method includes: an alkali extraction step of adding an alkali and water, or an alkali solution, to raw material ash containing an ammonium sulfate component, sulfuric acid, vanadium, and at least one other metal selected from nickel, iron, and magnesium, wherein a pH of 13 or higher is achieved, to obtain an alkali leachate; a solid-liquid separation step on the alkali leachate to obtain a leach filtrate containing vanadium; an evaporation concentration step of evaporating and concentrating the leach filtrate to obtain a concentrated liquid; and a crystallization/solid-liquid separation step of cooling and crystalizing the concentrated liquid and recovering a precipitate containing a vanadium compound. Another production method includes an alkali extraction step, a solid-liquid separation step, an evaporation concentration step, an alkali concentration adjustment step of further adding an alkali or alkali solution to a concentrated liquid to obtain a concentration-adjusted liquid, and a crystallization/solid-liquid separation step.

A method for recovering metal zinc from a solid metallurgical waste containing zinc and manganese, may include: (a) bringing the solid metallurgical waste into contact with an aqueous leaching solution comprising chloride ions and ammonium ions to produce at least one leachate including zinc ions and manganese ions and at least one insoluble solid residue; (b) cementing the leachate, by adding metal zinc as a precipitating agent, to eliminate at least one metal other than zinc and manganese possibly present in the leachate as ions and producing a purified leachate; (c) subjecting the purified leachate to electrolysis in an electrolytic cell including at least one cathode and at least one anode immersed in the purified leachate to deposit metal zinc on the cathode and producing at least one exhausted leachate, and, before the electrolysis, precipitating manganese ions by oxidation with permanganate ions and subsequently separating a precipitate including MnO.sub.2.

A method for recovering metal zinc from a solid metallurgical waste containing zinc and manganese, may include: (a) bringing the solid metallurgical waste into contact with an aqueous leaching solution comprising chloride ions and ammonium ions to produce at least one leachate including zinc ions and manganese ions and at least one insoluble solid residue; (b) cementing the leachate, by adding metal zinc as a precipitating agent, to eliminate at least one metal other than zinc and manganese possibly present in the leachate as ions and producing a purified leachate; (c) subjecting the purified leachate to electrolysis in an electrolytic cell including at least one cathode and at least one anode immersed in the purified leachate to deposit metal zinc on the cathode and producing at least one exhausted leachate, and, before the electrolysis, precipitating manganese ions by oxidation with permanganate ions and subsequently separating a precipitate including MnO.sub.2.

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.

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.

An ammonium complex system-based method for separating and purifying lead, zinc, cadmium, and copper, comprising the following steps: a zinc-containing raw material is leached using a leach solution to produce a leached solution; a filtrate and a filter residue are produced by filtration; the filtrate is mixed with metal lead to displace copper, undergoes a solid-liquid separation to produce a first separated liquid, is mixed with metal cadmium to displace lead, undergoes a solid-liquid separation to produce a second separated liquid, is mixed with metal zinc to displace cadmium, and undergoes a solid-liquid separation to produce a third separated liquid; and, the third separated liquid is electrolyzed to produce metal zinc, and an electrolytic solution is returned to the leaching step.

An ammonium complex system-based method for separating and purifying lead, zinc, cadmium, and copper, comprising the following steps: a zinc-containing raw material is leached using a leach solution to produce a leached solution; a filtrate and a filter residue are produced by filtration; the filtrate is mixed with metal lead to displace copper, undergoes a solid-liquid separation to produce a first separated liquid, is mixed with metal cadmium to displace lead, undergoes a solid-liquid separation to produce a second separated liquid, is mixed with metal zinc to displace cadmium, and undergoes a solid-liquid separation to produce a third separated liquid; and, the third separated liquid is electrolyzed to produce metal zinc, and an electrolytic solution is returned to the leaching step.

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.