Compositions and methods are provided that provide recovery of metals such as copper, nickel, cobalt, indium, and other metals are recovered from mine tailings, in situ ore bodies, or postconsumer waste. An amine-containing lixiviant is utilized to generate an aqueous solution of the desired metal from insoluble salts present in the source material. Metals can be recovered and further purified by various processes, including extraction into an immiscible organic solvent, electrowinning, crystallization, and chemical reduction. Spent lixiviant can be regenerated and recycled back into the metal recovery process.

Precious metals such as those of the platinum group can be effectively recovered from crystalline aluminosilicate supports, for example from spent catalysts, without appreciable degradation of the crystal structure by ion-exchange using a base metal ion containing medium and subsequent sequestration of the precious metal in elemental form on a nonionic cross linked borane reducing resin.

The present application relates to methods for leaching and extraction of precious metals. For example, the present application relates to methods of leaching gold, palladium and/or platinum from a substance comprising gold, palladium and/or platinum (such as a gold-containing ore or a platinum group metal (PGM) concentrate) using an organic solvent that is water-miscible or partially water-miscible.

Disclosed herein is a method for extracting precious metals from supported catalysts. The precious metal in one embodiment is rhodium. The supported catalyst may be from equipment, such as a used catalytic converter. The method is carried out at low temperature, and does not require harsh conditions, such as the use of a strong acid. The method involves contacting the catalytic material with a polar molecule and a reactive gas.

Disclosed are leaching aids and methods of using the leaching aids. The leaching aids can include one or a combination of compounds. The methods of using the leaching aids can include a process of recovering metal from ore, for example, a process involving leaching, concentration and purification unit operations.

Systems and methods are described in which spent pickle liquor from metal cleaning processes is utilized to regenerate a lixiviant used to recover valuable metals from industrial waste and other sources. The spent pickle liquor is neutralized and solvated metals in the spent pickle liquor are precipitated in this process. When the industrial waste is slag from a metal refining process a partially closed metal production process can be implemented, where spent pickle liquor from cleaning of the refined metal is used to regenerate a lixiviant used to recover a different, valuable metal from a waste slag of the process, with precipitated salts from the lixiviant regeneration being returned as a raw material in the metal refining process. As a result waste streams from these processes are dramatically reduced or eliminated.

The present application relates to methods for the simultaneous leaching and extraction of precious metals. For example, the present application relates to methods of leaching and extracting gold and/or palladium from a substance comprising gold and/or palladium such as a gold and/or palladium-containing ore in one step using a compound of Formula I: (I).

The present application relates to methods for the simultaneous leaching and extraction of precious metals. For example, the present application relates to methods of leaching and extracting gold and/or palladium from a substance comprising gold and/or palladium such as a gold and/or palladium-containing ore in one step using a compound of Formula I: (I)

The present application relates to methods for the simultaneous leaching and extraction of precious metals. For example, the present application relates to methods of leaching and extracting gold and/or palladium from a substance comprising gold and/or palladium such as a gold- and/or palladium-containing ore in one step using a compound of Formula I:(I). ##STR00001##

The present application relates to methods for leaching and extraction of precious metals. For example, the present application relates to methods of leaching gold, palladium and/or platinum from a substance comprising gold, palladium and/or platinum (such as a gold-containing ore or a platinum group metal (PGM) concentrate) using an organic solvent that is water-miscible or partially water-miscible.