METHOD OF OXIDATIVE LEACHING OF MOLYBDENUM - RHENIUM SULFIDE ORES AND/OR CONCENTRATES

摘要

A method for leaching molybdenum and/or rhenium from a sulfide ore and/or concentrate containing such, the method comprising the steps of: Exposing the ore and/or concentrate to an aqueous solution of chlorine-based oxidising species in which the sum of the concentrations of hypochlorite and hypochlorous acid is at least 10mol% of the chlorine-based oxidising species; Allowing and/or facilitating the oxidation of the molybdenum and/or rhenium by the hypochlorite and/or hypochlorous acid, thereby decreasing the pH such that the predominant chlorine-based oxidising species becomes chlorine; Allowing and/or facilitating the oxidation of the molybdenum and/or rhenium by the chlorine thereby producing a pregnant leach solution; and Passing the pregnant leach solution to a means for metal recovery.