Method and apparatus for electrowinning copper using an atmospheric leach with ferrous/ferric anode reaction electrowinning
View Patent ↗The present invention relates, generally, to a method and apparatus for recovering metal values from a metal-bearing materials, and more specifically, a process for recovering copper and other metals through leaching, electrowinning using the ferrous/ferric anode reaction, and the synergistic addition of ferrous iron to the leach step.
1. A method of recovering a metal value from an ore, the method comprising:
providing an ore;
subjecting said ore to atmospheric leaching to yield a metal bearing slurry comprising said metal value and ferrous iron;
separating said metal bearing slurry into a metal bearing solution comprising said metal value and a first portion of said ferrous iron and a metal bearing solid comprising a second portion of said ferrous iron;
recycling at least a portion of said second portion of said ferrous iron to said leaching step;
extracting said metal value and said ferrous iron from said metal bearing solution to yield a rich electrolyte; and
electrowinning said rich electrolyte by oxidizing said first portion of ferrous iron to ferric iron at an anode of an electrowinning cell and reducing said metal value at a cathode of said electrowinning cell.
2. The method according to claim 1 further comprising conditioning said metal bearing solution before said oxidizing said metal bearing solution.
3. The method according to claim 1 further comprising recycling said ferric iron to said leaching step.
4. The method according to claim 3 further comprising reducing said ferric iron to said ferrous iron during said leaching step.
5. The method according to claim 1 further comprising grinding said ore before said leaching said ore.