AU2004243344B2 - A process for treating dust - Google Patents
A process for treating dust Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- AU2004243344B2 AU2004243344B2 AU2004243344A AU2004243344A AU2004243344B2 AU 2004243344 B2 AU2004243344 B2 AU 2004243344B2 AU 2004243344 A AU2004243344 A AU 2004243344A AU 2004243344 A AU2004243344 A AU 2004243344A AU 2004243344 B2 AU2004243344 B2 AU 2004243344B2
- Authority
- AU
- Australia
- Prior art keywords
- polonium
- dust
- plant
- process according
- stage
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired
Links
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 title claims description 71
- 239000000428 dust Substances 0.000 title claims description 60
- 229910052699 polonium Inorganic materials 0.000 claims description 66
- HZEBHPIOVYHPMT-UHFFFAOYSA-N polonium atom Chemical compound [Po] HZEBHPIOVYHPMT-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 66
- 238000002386 leaching Methods 0.000 claims description 47
- RYGMFSIKBFXOCR-UHFFFAOYSA-N Copper Chemical compound [Cu] RYGMFSIKBFXOCR-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 41
- 229910052802 copper Inorganic materials 0.000 claims description 41
- 239000010949 copper Substances 0.000 claims description 41
- 239000007790 solid phase Substances 0.000 claims description 35
- 150000001875 compounds Chemical class 0.000 claims description 34
- 239000002184 metal Substances 0.000 claims description 28
- 229910052751 metal Inorganic materials 0.000 claims description 28
- 239000007791 liquid phase Substances 0.000 claims description 27
- 239000002002 slurry Substances 0.000 claims description 24
- 239000007787 solid Substances 0.000 claims description 17
- 239000002253 acid Substances 0.000 claims description 14
- 239000007788 liquid Substances 0.000 claims description 14
- 150000002739 metals Chemical class 0.000 claims description 14
- QAOWNCQODCNURD-UHFFFAOYSA-N Sulfuric acid Chemical compound OS(O)(=O)=O QAOWNCQODCNURD-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 13
- 238000000605 extraction Methods 0.000 claims description 13
- 235000011149 sulphuric acid Nutrition 0.000 claims description 13
- 239000001117 sulphuric acid Substances 0.000 claims description 12
- 238000003723 Smelting Methods 0.000 claims description 9
- 239000012071 phase Substances 0.000 claims description 7
- 239000010970 precious metal Substances 0.000 claims description 5
- 238000000638 solvent extraction Methods 0.000 claims description 5
- XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N water Substances O XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 5
- 230000002378 acidificating effect Effects 0.000 claims description 3
- 238000000746 purification Methods 0.000 claims description 3
- XEEYBQQBJWHFJM-UHFFFAOYSA-N Iron Chemical compound [Fe] XEEYBQQBJWHFJM-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 4
- PXHVJJICTQNCMI-UHFFFAOYSA-N Nickel Chemical compound [Ni] PXHVJJICTQNCMI-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 4
- ARUVKPQLZAKDPS-UHFFFAOYSA-L copper(II) sulfate Chemical compound [Cu+2].[O-][S+2]([O-])([O-])[O-] ARUVKPQLZAKDPS-UHFFFAOYSA-L 0.000 description 4
- 238000000926 separation method Methods 0.000 description 4
- PCHJSUWPFVWCPO-UHFFFAOYSA-N gold Chemical compound [Au] PCHJSUWPFVWCPO-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 3
- 229910052737 gold Inorganic materials 0.000 description 3
- 239000010931 gold Substances 0.000 description 3
- 229910052709 silver Inorganic materials 0.000 description 3
- 239000004332 silver Substances 0.000 description 3
- BQCADISMDOOEFD-UHFFFAOYSA-N Silver Chemical compound [Ag] BQCADISMDOOEFD-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 2
- 238000009825 accumulation Methods 0.000 description 2
- 238000010586 diagram Methods 0.000 description 2
- 238000004090 dissolution Methods 0.000 description 2
- 239000007789 gas Substances 0.000 description 2
- 229910052742 iron Inorganic materials 0.000 description 2
- 229910052759 nickel Inorganic materials 0.000 description 2
- 150000003069 polonium compounds Chemical class 0.000 description 2
- 238000007670 refining Methods 0.000 description 2
- XNMARPWJSQWVGC-UHFFFAOYSA-N 2-[3-[11-[[5-(dimethylamino)naphthalen-1-yl]sulfonylamino]undecanoylamino]propoxy]-4-[(5,5,8,8-tetramethyl-6,7-dihydronaphthalene-2-carbonyl)amino]benzoic acid Chemical compound CC1(C)CCC(C)(C)C=2C1=CC(C(=O)NC=1C=C(C(=CC=1)C(O)=O)OCCCNC(=O)CCCCCCCCCCNS(=O)(=O)C1=C3C=CC=C(C3=CC=C1)N(C)C)=CC=2 XNMARPWJSQWVGC-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 239000005749 Copper compound Substances 0.000 description 1
- 150000007513 acids Chemical class 0.000 description 1
- 230000002411 adverse Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000012141 concentrate Substances 0.000 description 1
- 150000001880 copper compounds Chemical class 0.000 description 1
- 230000007423 decrease Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000011143 downstream manufacturing Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000007613 environmental effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000009291 froth flotation Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000000227 grinding Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000007062 hydrolysis Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000006460 hydrolysis reaction Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000009854 hydrometallurgy Methods 0.000 description 1
- 150000002500 ions Chemical class 0.000 description 1
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000000203 mixture Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000004048 modification Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000012986 modification Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000002245 particle Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000011112 process operation Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000011084 recovery Methods 0.000 description 1
Classifications
-
- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
- Y02P—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS
- Y02P10/00—Technologies related to metal processing
- Y02P10/20—Recycling
Landscapes
- Manufacture And Refinement Of Metals (AREA)
Description
WO 2004/106560 PCT/AU2004/000737 A PROCESS FOR TREATING DUST Field of the Present Invention The present invention relates to a 5 hydrometallurgical process for separating polonium and compounds thereof from valuable metals (including nickel, copper and iron) in smelter dusts. Background of the Invention 10 The present invention was made to improve the treatment of intermediate materials in the processing of the ore body at Olympic Dam Operations in South Australia. It is common practice for run-of-mine copper containing ore, such as that mined at Olympic Dam 15 Operations, to be processed by grinding and concentrating the ore in a series of froth flotation vessels and thereafter smelting the ore concentrate in a smelter to produce copper. An operational characteristic of smelters is that 20 dust forms in the smelters and is discharged with exhaust gases. The dust is separated from the exhaust gases and the dust is subsequently treated and returned to the smelters. The dust treatment includes leaching polonium from at least part of the dust stream. If dust containing 25 polonium is not removed from the smelter circuits there will be an undesirable accumulation of polonium. The polonium build up is undesirable because it causes environmental issues in the smelters and is carried over into downstream process streams and adversely affects 30 processing of these streams. Accumulation of polonium in dust in the smelters is also an occupational health and safety issue as it can be the source of excessive exposure to radioactivity. The prior art, in its simplest form, is a single 35 stage leaching process to treat dust bleed from a smelter.
WO 2004/106560 PCT/AU2004/000737 -2 This produces a solution rich in polonium and copper and a solid containing precious metals for recycle to the smelter. The solution containing the polonium and copper is further treated to recover the copper and to reject the 5 polonium. The present invention provides an alternative dust leaching process. Sumnuary of the Invention 10 The present invention provides a two-step dust leaching process. The first step includes a first leach followed by solid/liquid separation. The "liquid" phase from the solid/liquid separation has a relatively high concentration of a valuable metal (such as copper) and a 15 relatively low concentration of polonium mostly. The "solid" phase from the solid/liquid separation contains valuable metals (such as copper, gold and silver) and polonium and has a relatively high concentration of polonium compared to the liquid phase. The "solid" phase 20 is transferred to the second step. The second step includes a second leach followed by a solid/liquid separation. The "liquid" phase has a relatively high concentration of polonium and a low concentration of valuable metal (such as copper). The "solid" phase 25 contains valuable metals (such as copper, gold and silver) and polonium and has a relatively low concentration of polonium. The liquid phase from the first step and the solid and liquid phases from the second step can be used beneficially in other processing steps in a refining plant 30 for recovering the valuable metals. According to the present invention there is provided a process for removing polonium and compounds thereof from a dust containing valuable metals from a smelter that forms part of an extraction plant, the 35 process including the steps of: a) selectively leaching at least one valuable metal and compounds thereof from the dust using an acid solution WO 2004/106560 PCT/AU2004/000737 -3 having a pH that is selected to minimise leaching of polonium and compounds thereof from the dust; b) separating solid and liquid phases formed in step a) in a solid/liquid separator, with the liquid phase 5 forming a first leach solution that contains a relatively high concentration of the leached valuable metal and a relatively low concentration of polonium; and c) selectively leaching polonium and compounds thereof from the solid phase produced by step b) using an 10 acid solution having a pH or acidity that is selected to maximise leaching of polonium and compounds thereof from the solid phase and forming a second leach solution and leaving valuable metals behind in the solid phase. It will be appreciated that a mixture of elements 15 and compounds thereof may be leached from the dust by steps a) and c). For instance, it is within the scope of the present invention that less than 20% of polonium and compounds thereof be leached from the dust by step a). 20 It is even more preferred that less than 10% of polonium and compounds thereof be leached from the dust in step a). It is even further preferred that less than 1% of polonium and compounds thereof be leached from the dust in 25 step a). It is preferred that the valuable metal be copper, the smelter be a copper smelter, and the plant be a copper extraction plant. It is preferred that step a) be carried out under 30 conditions in which the pH is in the range of 2.5 to 4.5. An advantage of using a pH in this range is that the amount of copper leached from the dust is approximately 50 to 90% or more, while less than 20% and as little as 1% of polonium may be leached from the dust. 35 It is even more preferred that step a) be carried out at a substantially constant pH of 3.
WO 2004/106560 PCT/AU2004/000737 -4 It is even further preferred that the acidity at which step a) is carried out be less than 50 g/L of H 2 S0 4 . It is preferred that the liquid phase produced in step b) contain more that 60 g/L of copper. 5 It is preferred that the pH at which step c) is carried out be less than the pH at which step a) is carried out. As the acidity of the slurry increases, ie. the pH decreases, the dissolution of polonium and compounds thereof from the dust increases. 10 It is preferred that the acidity at which step c) is carried out be greater than 50 g/L of H 2 S0 4 . It is even more preferred that step c) be carried out at a substantially constant acidity of approximately 100 g/L of H 2
SO
4 . 15 Although a number of different types of acids may be suitable for step a), it is preferred that the acid be sulphuric acid. An advantage of using sulphuric acid is that the liquid phase produced in step b) can be used as a source of aqueous copper sulphate in other processes in 20 the copper refining plant. It is also preferred that sulphuric acid be used in step c). It is preferred that each of steps a) and c) be carried out in a series of stages. 25 It is preferred that each of steps a) and c) be carried out in 2 or 3 continuous flow stirred tanks to ensure residence time (minimise short circuiting) and facilitate control of the process. It is preferred that step a) and/or step c) be 30 carried out at temperatures ranging from 30 to 70 *C. It is even more preferred that step a) and/or step c) be carried out at a temperature of approximately 50 0 C. It is preferred that step a) and/or step c) be carried out for a period ranging from 2 to 6 hours. 35 It is preferred that step a) includes forming a slurry from the dust, a small amount of sulphuric acid to WO 2004/106560 PCT/AU2004/000737 -5 reduce hydrolysis of iron, and either one or a combination of recycled acid process liquor and water. The recycled acid process liquor may for example, be obtained from a solvent extraction circuit of the 5 copper extraction plant. It is preferred that the density of the dust in the slurry ranges from 200 to 400 g/L. In contrast, the density of prior art leaching slurries is of the order of 120 g/L and thus this preferred feature of the invention 10 reduces the size of the equipment items for handling the slurry and increases the copper concentration from approximately 36 to greater than 60 g/L. It is even more preferred that the density of the dust in the slurry be 400 g/L or as determined by the 15 solubility of copper sulphate at a given temperature. It is preferred that the process includes a further step of separating the liquid and solid phases formed in step c) in a solid/liquid separator. The solid phase can be further treated in precious metals leaching 20 and purification processes or included in a process stream that will eventually be fed to a smelting furnace. The liquid phase from the separator can be transferred to a process such as a tails leaching process that allows collection of any contained economic metals, or disposed 25 of in an appropriate manner. It is preferred that the amount of polonium leached from the solid phase in step c) be at least 60%. It is even more preferred that the amount of polonium leached from the solid phase be at least 70%. 30 According to the present invention there is also provided a plant for removing polonium and compounds thereof from a dust containing valuable metals from a smelter, the plant including: a first stage for selectively leaching at least one 35 valuable metal and compounds thereof from the dust using WO 2004/106560 PCT/AU2004/000737 -6 an acid solution having a pH that is selected to minimise leaching of polonium and compounds thereof from the dust; a separator for separating solid and liquid phases formed in the first stage, with the liquid phase forming a 5 first leach solution that contains a relatively high concentration of the leached valuable metal and a relatively low concentration of polonium; and a second stage for selectively leaching polonium and compounds thereof from the solid phase discharged by the 10 separator using an acid solution having an acidity that is selected to maximise leaching of polonium and compounds thereof from the solid phase and forming a second leach solution and leaving valuable metals behind in the solid phase. 15 The plant may also include any one or a combination of the features of the process of the present invention. Brief Description of the Drawings 20 A detailed description of a dust leaching process according to a prior art process and the preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to: Figure 1 which is a diagram of a prior art dust 25 leaching process; and Figure 2 which is a diagram of a preferred embodiment of a dust leaching process according to the present invention. 30 Detailed Description The following description is in the context of a copper extraction plant. However, the present invention is not confined to separating polonium from this valuable metal and is equally applicable to separating polonium 35 from other valuable metals, such as nickel.
WO 2004/106560 PCT/AU2004/000737 -7 The prior art (in its simplest form) is a dust leaching process such as the process shown in Figure 1 and is a single step process carried out on a batch or continuous basis in a leaching tank. 5 The process includes forming a slurry of a smelting furnace dust of a copper extraction plant; a raffinate from a solvent extraction circuit of the copper extraction plant or water; and sulphuric acid. The density of dust particles in the slurry is of the order of 10 120 g/L. The concentration of sulphuric acid is approximately 100 g/L. The process also includes supplying the slurry to a leach tank and leaching the dust for a period of approximately 13 hours at a temperature ranging from 50 to 15 60 0 C. During this period, more than 80% of the polonium and polonium compounds and more than 90% of the copper and copper compounds are dissolved into solution. The slurry is then transferred to a solid/liquid separator that produces a solid phase and a liquid phase. 20 The liquid phase is fed to a tails leaching process and the solid phase is treated in a precious metals leaching process and/or returned to the smelting furnace. A disadvantage of the above-described prior art (or process in its simplest form) process is that a large 25 portion of the copper, and compounds thereof, are removed concurrently with the polonium from the dust. The preferred embodiment of the process of the invention is essentially a two step process. The first step includes leaching copper and compounds thereof from 30 dust discharged from a smelting furnace to produce a first leach stream that is copper-rich and polonium-poor. The second step includes leaching polonium and compounds thereof from the dust to produce a polonium-rich second leach stream. 35 Specifically, as can be seen in Figure 2, the first step includes forming a slurry of a smelting furnace dust, a raffinate from a solvent extraction circuit or WO 2004/106560 PCT/AU2004/000737 -8 other suitable acidic process stream or water, and sulphuric acid. The first step also includes supplying the slurry to a leach tank and leaching the dust for a period of 2 to 6 hours and at an elevated temperature of 5 approximately 50 0 C. Sulphuric acid is continuously added to the slurry in the tank to maintain the pH value of the slurry at approximately 3. The main purpose of maintaining the pH at this value is to minimise dissolution of polonium and 10 compounds thereof into solution in the first step. The acidity of step a) is preferably less than 50 g/L of H2SO4. After the predetermined residence time, the slurry is transferred to a solid/liquid separator that produces a solid phase and a liquid phase. The liquid phase 15 preferably contains at least 60 g/L copper in a predominantly aqueous copper sulphate solution. The amount of polonium in the liquid phase is preferably less than 20% and can be as little as 1%. The copper sulphate solution is capable of being used as a source of copper 20 ions in other process operations carried out in the copper smelter and/or extraction plant. The solid phase is transferred to the second leaching step where additional sulphuric acid is added. As with the first leaching step, the second leaching step 25 is carried out in a leach tank for a period of 2 to 6 hours at an elevated temperature of approximately 50 0 C. The pH of the second step is maintained at a value less than the pH of the first step. In particular, it is preferred that the free sulphuric acid concentration be 30 greater than 50 g/L and more preferably around 100 g/L so as to dissolve polonium and polonium compounds into solution. As can be seen from the Table below, the proportion of polonium dissolved into solution increases 35 as the acidity of the slurry increases.
WO 2004/106560 PCT/AU2004/000737 PH of slurry in % of Polonium leached Leaching step into solution 1.5 36.8 2.0 15.0 2.6 4.2 Upon completion of the second leaching step, the slurry is transferred to a solid/liquid separator and produces a liquid phase and a solid phase. The liquid 5 phase, containing essentially all of the polonium leached from the dust, is fed to other processing operations within a copper extraction plant such as tails leaching operations. The solid phase is supplied to a smelting furnace 10 for recovery of the silver and gold. In order to reduce the size of the equipment used in the process, it is possible for the density of dust solids in the slurry in the first and second steps to be approximately 400g/L. 15 It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art of the present invention that modification may be made to the preferred embodiment without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. For example, it is also possible that the first 20 and second steps as described with reference to the preferred embodiment may be carried out in two or more separate leaching vessels or stages to allow the conditions, and in particular the pH and acidity to be more accurately controlled throughout the slurry as 25 leaching progresses.
Claims (35)
1. A process for removing polonium and compounds thereof from a dust containing valuable metals from a 5 smelter that forms part of an extraction plant, the process including the steps of: a) selectively leaching at least one valuable metal and compounds thereof from the dust using an acid solution having a pH that is selected to minimise leaching of 10 polonium and compounds thereof from the dust; b) separating solid and liquid phases formed in step a) in a solid/liquid separator, with the liquid phase forming a first leach solution that contains a relatively high concentration of the leached valuable metal and a 15 relatively low concentration of polonium; and c) selectively leaching polonium and compounds thereof from the solid phase produced by step b) using an acid solution having a pH or acidity that is selected to maximise leaching of polonium and compounds thereof from 20 the solid phase and forming a second leach solution and leaving valuable metals behind -in the solid phase.
2. The process according to claim 1, wherein the valuable metal is copper, the smelter is a copper smelter, 25 and the plant is a copper extraction plant.
3. The process according to claim 1 or 2, wherein step a) is carried out under conditions in which the pH ranges from 2.5 to 4.5 inclusive. 30
4. The process according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein step a) is carried out at a substantially constant pH of 3. 35 5. The process according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein step a) is carried out at an acidity of less than 50 g/L of H 2 SO 4 . WO 2004/106560 PCT/AU2004/000737 - 11 6. The process according to any one of claims 1 to 5, whereby the amount of copper leached from the dust in step a) is greater than 80% and the amount of polonium is less than 20%. 5
7. The process according to claim 6, wherein less than 10% of polonium and compounds thereof are leached from the dust in step a). 10 8. The process according to claim 6, wherein less than 1% of polonium and compounds thereof are leached from the dust in step a).
9. The process according to any one of claims 2 to 8, 15 wherein the liquid phase produced in step b) contains more than 60 g/L of copper.
10. The process according to any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein step c) is carried out under conditions in which 20 the pH is less than the pH used in step a).
11. The process according to any one of claims 2 to 10, wherein step c) is carried out at an acidity of greater than 50 g/L of H 2 SO 4 . 25
12. The process according to any one of claims 2 to 11, wherein step c) is carried out at an acidity of between 50 and 100 g/L of H 2 SO 4 . 30 13. The process according to any one of claims 2 to 12, wherein steps a) and c) are carried out in a series of stages.
14. The process according to claim 13, wherein steps 35 a) and c) are carried out in 2 or 3 continuous flow stirred tanks. WO 2004/106560 PCT/AU2004/000737 - 12 15. The process according to any one of claims 2 to 14, wherein steps a) and/or c) are carried out at temperatures ranging from 30 to 70 *C. 5 16. The process according to claim 15, wherein steps a) and/or c) are carried out at a temperature of approximately 50 0 C.
17. The process according to any one of claims 2 to 10 16, wherein step a) and/or step c) are carried out for a period ranging from 2 to 6 hours.
18. The process according to any one of claims 2 to 17, wherein step a) involves forming a slurry of the dust 15 that includes a recycled acidic process liquor or water, and a relatively small amount of sulphuric acid.
19. The process according to claim 18, wherein the recycled acid process liquor is a raffinate stream from a 20 solvent extraction circuit of the copper extraction plant.
20. The process according to any one of claims 2 to 15, wherein the density of the dust in the slurry ranges from 200 to 400 g/L in step a). 25
21. The process according to claim 20, wherein the density of the dust in the slurry in step a) is approximately 400 g/L. 30 22. The process according to any one of claims 2 to 21, further including a step of separating the liquid and solid phases formed in step c) in a solid/liquid separator. 35 23. The process according to claim 22, wherein the solid phase discharged from the separator is further processed in precious metals leaching and purification WO 2004/106560 PCT/AU2004/000737 - 13 processes or included in a process stream that will eventually be fed to a smelting furnace.
24. The process according to claim 22 or 23, wherein 5 the liquid phase from the separator is transferred to a tails leaching process.
25. The process according to any one of claims 2 to 24, wherein the amount of polonium leached from the solid 10 phase in step c) is at least 60%.
26. The process according to claim 25, wherein the amount of polonium leached from the solid phase is at least 70%. 15
27. A plant for removing polonium and compounds thereof from a dust containing valuable metals from a smelter, the plant including: a first stage for selectively leaching at least one 20 valuable metal and compounds thereof from the dust using an acid solution having a pH that is selected to minimise leaching of polonium and compounds thereof from the dust; a separator for separating solid and liquid phases formed in the first vessel with the liquid phase forming a 25 first leach solution that contains a relatively high concentration of the leached valuable metal and a relatively low concentration of polonium; and a second stage for selectively leaching polonium and compounds thereof from the solid phase discharged from the 30 separator using an acid solution having an acidity that is selected to maximise leaching of polonium and compounds thereof from the solid phase and forming a second leach solution and leaving valuable metals behind in the solid phase. 35 WO 2004/106560 PCT/AU2004/000737 - 14 28. The plant according to claim 27, wherein the valuable metal is copper, the smelter is a copper smelter, and the plant is a copper extraction plant. 5 29. The plant according to claim 27 or 28, wherein the first stage is operated under conditions in which the pH ranges from 2.5 to 4.5 inclusive.
30. The plant according to any one of claims 27 to 29, 10 wherein the first stage is operated at a substantially constant pH of 3.
31. The plant according to any one of claims 27 to 30, wherein the first stage is operated at an acidity of less 15 than 50 g/L of H 2 SO 4 .
32. The plant according to any one of claims 27 to 31, whereby the amount of copper leached from the dust in the first stage is greater than 80%, and the amount of 20 polonium reached is less than 20% of polonium.
33. The plant according to claim 32, wherein less than 10% of polonium and compounds thereof are leached from the dust in the first stage. 25
34. The plant according to claim 32, wherein less than 1% of polonium and compounds thereof are leached from the dust in the first stage. 30 35. The plant according to any one of claims 28 to 34, wherein the liquid phase discharged from the separator contains more than 60 g/L of copper.
36. The plant according to any one of claims 28 to 34, 35 wherein the second stage is operated under conditions in which the pH is less than the pH the first stage. WO 2004/106560 PCT/AU2004/000737 - 15 37. The plant according to any one of claims 28 to 36, wherein the second stage is operated at an acidity of greater than 50 g/L of H 2 SO 4 . 5 38. The plant according to any one of claims 28 to 37, wherein the second stage is operated at an acidity ranging between 50 and 100 g/L of H 2 SO 4 .
39. The plant according to any one of claims 27 to 38, 10 wherein the first and/or second stages are continuous stirred tanks.
40. The plant according to any one of claims 28 to 39, wherein the first and/or second stages are operated at 15 temperatures ranging from 30 to 70 *C.
41. The plant according to claim 40, wherein the first and/or second stages are operated at a temperature of approximately 50 0 C. 20
42. The plant according to any one of claims 28 to 41, wherein the leaching process carried out in the first and/or second stages are operated for a period ranging from 2 to 6 hours. 25
43. The plant according to any one of claims 28 to 42, wherein in addition to dust a recycled acidic process liquor or water and a relatively small amount of sulphuric acid are supplied to the first stage. 30
44. The plant according to claim 43, wherein the recycled acid process liquor is a raffinate stream from a solvent extraction circuit of the copper extraction plant. 35 45. The plant according to any one of claims 27 to 40, wherein the density of the dust formed in the first stage ranges from 200 to 400 g/L. WO 2004/106560 PCT/AU2004/000737 - 16 46. The plant according to claim 45, wherein the density of the dust in the slurry formed in the first stage is approximately 400 g/L. 5
47. The plant according to any one of claims 27 to 46, including a further separator for separating the solid and liquid phases formed in the second stage. 10 48. The plant according to claim 47, wherein the solid phase discharged from the further separator is suitable for further processing in a precious metals leaching and purification process or included in a process stream that will eventually be fed to a smelting furnace. 15
49. The plant according to claim 47 or 48, wherein the liquid phase discharged from the separator is transferred to a tails leaching process. 20 50. The plant according to any one of claims 27 to 49, wherein the amount of polonium leached from the solid phase in the second stage is at least 60%.
51. The plant according to claim 50, wherein the 25 amount of polonium leached from the solid phase is at least 70%.
52. An upgraded solid phase from which polonium has been selectively leached by the process or plant according 30 to any one of the preceding claims
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| AU2004243344A AU2004243344B2 (en) | 2003-06-03 | 2004-06-03 | A process for treating dust |
Applications Claiming Priority (4)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| AU2003902807A AU2003902807A0 (en) | 2003-06-03 | 2003-06-03 | A process for treating dust |
| AU2003902807 | 2003-06-03 | ||
| PCT/AU2004/000737 WO2004106560A1 (en) | 2003-06-03 | 2004-06-03 | A process for treating dust |
| AU2004243344A AU2004243344B2 (en) | 2003-06-03 | 2004-06-03 | A process for treating dust |
Publications (2)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| AU2004243344A1 AU2004243344A1 (en) | 2004-12-09 |
| AU2004243344B2 true AU2004243344B2 (en) | 2010-03-04 |
Family
ID=35841540
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| AU2004243344A Expired AU2004243344B2 (en) | 2003-06-03 | 2004-06-03 | A process for treating dust |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| AU (1) | AU2004243344B2 (en) |
Families Citing this family (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CL2012002232A1 (en) | 2012-08-10 | 2012-10-12 | Prokumet Spa | Procedure for the extraction of copper and other metals in foundry metallurgical powders by leaching with solutions of tricarboxylic acid at a concentration between 0.5 and 60 gpl followed by recovery / regeneration of the solution of tricarboxylic acid. |
Citations (5)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GB798322A (en) * | 1952-12-19 | 1958-07-16 | Atomic Energy Authority Uk | Improvements in or relating to recovery of polonium |
| US3459513A (en) * | 1965-03-17 | 1969-08-05 | Commissariat Energie Atomique | Process of extraction of polonium |
| GB2311517A (en) * | 1996-03-28 | 1997-10-01 | Tioxide Group Services Ltd | Metal extraction process |
| EP0834581A1 (en) * | 1996-09-30 | 1998-04-08 | Basf Aktiengesellschaft | Use of hydrocarbon-soluble aminomethylenephosphonic acid derivatives for the solvent extraction of metal ions from aqueous solutions |
| US5993514A (en) * | 1997-10-24 | 1999-11-30 | Dynatec Corporation | Process for upgrading copper sulphide residues containing nickel and iron |
-
2004
- 2004-06-03 AU AU2004243344A patent/AU2004243344B2/en not_active Expired
Patent Citations (5)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GB798322A (en) * | 1952-12-19 | 1958-07-16 | Atomic Energy Authority Uk | Improvements in or relating to recovery of polonium |
| US3459513A (en) * | 1965-03-17 | 1969-08-05 | Commissariat Energie Atomique | Process of extraction of polonium |
| GB2311517A (en) * | 1996-03-28 | 1997-10-01 | Tioxide Group Services Ltd | Metal extraction process |
| EP0834581A1 (en) * | 1996-09-30 | 1998-04-08 | Basf Aktiengesellschaft | Use of hydrocarbon-soluble aminomethylenephosphonic acid derivatives for the solvent extraction of metal ions from aqueous solutions |
| US5993514A (en) * | 1997-10-24 | 1999-11-30 | Dynatec Corporation | Process for upgrading copper sulphide residues containing nickel and iron |
Non-Patent Citations (2)
| Title |
|---|
| MCGraw Hill, Inc., pp 625-626. * |
| Warren L. MCCabe,et al., Unit Operations of Chemical Engineering 5th Edition (1993), * |
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| AU2004243344A1 (en) | 2004-12-09 |
Similar Documents
| Publication | Publication Date | Title |
|---|---|---|
| EP0930373B1 (en) | Recovery of nickel and/or cobalt from a hydroxide concentrate with an ammonium leach solution | |
| US20080173132A1 (en) | Integrated hydrometallurgical and pyrometallurgical processing of base-metal sulphides | |
| US4545963A (en) | Process for separately recovering zinc and lead values from zinc and lead containing sulphidic ore | |
| EA002308B1 (en) | Chloride assisted hydrometallurgical extraction of copper from sulphide ore materials | |
| KR100849579B1 (en) | Processing method of molybdenum concentrate containing copper | |
| US11053566B2 (en) | System and method including multi-circuit solution extraction for recovery of metal values from metal-bearing materials | |
| JP2005523383A (en) | Method for treatment or removal of impurities in hydrometallurgical extraction methods | |
| EP1507878B1 (en) | Chloride assisted hydrometallurgical extraction of metals | |
| AU2004243344B2 (en) | A process for treating dust | |
| CN110036123A (en) | The method for controlling iron via the formation of magnetic iron ore in hydrometallurgical processes | |
| WO2004106560A1 (en) | A process for treating dust | |
| Lopez et al. | Copper and cyanide recovery from barren leach solution at the gold processing plant | |
| WO2002048042A1 (en) | Hydroxide solids enrichment by precipitate contact | |
| CN100406593C (en) | Preparation of zinc chemicals from minor streams of a process | |
| AU2002221333B2 (en) | Hydroxide solids enrichment by precipitate contact | |
| EP1939310A1 (en) | Recovery of zinc from sulphide concentrates by atmospheric leaching with sulphuric acid at a controlled acidity | |
| AU2002221333A1 (en) | Hydroxide solids enrichment by precipitate contact | |
| AU5401801A (en) | Processing gold containing copper sulphide feeds |
Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| PC1 | Assignment before grant (sect. 113) |
Owner name: AUSTRALIAN NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ORGANISA Free format text: FORMER APPLICANT(S): AUSTRALIAN NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ORGANISATION; BHP BILLITON NICKEL WEST PTY LTD |
|
| FGA | Letters patent sealed or granted (standard patent) | ||
| HB | Alteration of name in register |
Owner name: AUSTRALIAN NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ORGANISATION Free format text: FORMER NAME(S): BHP BILLITON OLYMPIC DAM CORPORATION PTY LTD ; AUSTRALIAN NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ORGANISATION Owner name: BHP OLYMPIC DAM CORPORATION PTY LTD Free format text: FORMER NAME(S): BHP BILLITON OLYMPIC DAM CORPORATION PTY LTD ; AUSTRALIAN NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ORGANISATION |
|
| MK14 | Patent ceased section 143(a) (annual fees not paid) or expired |