Recovery of copper from copper-containing sulfide ores
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.
1. 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 75° C. and about 85° C. and a pH of between about 4 and about 7, at atmospheric pressure, to produce a solution of cuprous/cupric chloride.
2. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the copper sulfide minerals include at least one of Pb, Zn, Ag, Au, Fe, As, or Sb.
3. The process according to claim 1 , having cupric present.
4. The process according to claim 1 , having a range of NH 4 Cl from 50 g/l to 350 g/l.
5. The process according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one of NaCl and KCl.
6. The process according to claim 1 , using O 2 or air to regenerate the cuprous to cupric.
7. The process according to claim 1 , using agitated leach tanks or use in heap leaching.
8. The process according to claim 1 , using solvent extraction to recover copper from leach solution.
9. The process according to claim 1 , using direct electrowinning of copper from leach solution.
10. 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 75° C. and about 85° C. and a pH of between about 4 and about 7, at atmospheric pressure, to produce a solution of cuprous/cupric chloride:
filtering the solution resulting from the leaching step; subjecting the filtered solution to recover the copper as a product.
11. The process according to claim 10 , wherein the copper sulfide minerals include at least one of Pb, Zn, Ag, Au, Fe, As, or Sb.
12. The process according to claim 10 , having cupric present.
13. The process according to claim 10 , having a range of NH 4 Cl from 50 g/l to 350 g/l.
14. The process according to claim 10 , further comprising at least one of NaCl and KCl.
15. The process according to claim 10 , using O 2 or air to regenerate the cuprous to cupric.
16. The process according to claim 10 , using agitated leach tanks or use in heap leaching.
17. The process according to claim 10 , using ion exchange to recover copper from leach solution.