Hydrometallurgical process for the recovery of valuable metals from sulfidic, silicate-containing raw materials

Abstract From the Canadian patent

The invention relates to a process for the recovery of valuable metals from sulfidic, silicate-containing raw materials by slurrying the raw material in water by, subjecting the slurry to a selective leach under atmospheric conditions and in an acidic milieu and by, separating the valuable-metal containing solution from the solid leach residue. When the leach is carried out by introducing an oxygenbearing gas into the slurry which contains finely-divided sulfide and carbon, the acidity of the slurry drops in a controlled manner so that a high efficiency of oxygen and, a high selectivity of the leach as regards valuable metals, are obtained. Owing to the presence of carbon the oxygen is …