HYDROMETALLURGICAL PROCESS FOR EXTRACTING AND RECOVERING METAL VALUES FROM COMPLEX ORES CONTAINING ARSENIC AND SULPHUR

摘要

This invention relates to environmentally sound hydrometallurgical methods and processes for extraction of cobalt, nickel and silver from complex concentrates. The finely ground minerals are converted during two-stage oxidative caustic leaching at elevated pressures and temperatures to insoluble metal hydroxides and are separated from soluble sodium arsenate and sodium sulphate. Cobalt and nickel are extracted from the caustic cake during a two-stage sulphuric acid leach. Solution purification for cobalt and nickel recovery proceeds on the basis that only one waste residue and one liquid effluent are generated which meet strict environmental standards. A small amount of cyanidation residue is generated after silver extraction by cyanidation from the acid leach residue. Metal values extraction reaches +99.0%. Arsenic and sulphur can be recovered in an innovative recycle system as sodium, zinc or copper arsenate chemicals and as anhydrous sodium sulphate.