METAL CARBONATE RECYCLE TO REDUCTION CIRCUIT IN THE CUPRION ESS

摘要

A process in which copper, nichel, cobalt, and molybdenum are recovered by direct leaching of comminuted raw manganese nodules after the nodules are reduced in a reduction circuit with an aqueous ammoniacal leach solution containing cuprous ions. An improvement is disclosed which results from recycling a portion of the metal values recovered back to the reduction circuit as a solid basic metal carbonate. The metal carbonate recycle enables the size of the reactors in the reduction circuit to be reduced. The recycle also increases the efficiency of the process by facilitating the solubilization of copper. Another aspect of the invention resides in the advantages of maintaining solubilized copper in amounts between 10 grams per liter and the solubility limit in the reduction circuit.