RECOVERY OF NITRIC ACID SOLUBLE TRANSITION METALS FROM SULFUR AND IRON AINING ORES OF THE SAME

摘要

This invention relates to a process of recovering copper from a sulfur and iron containing ore of the same. The process consists of the steps of a) forming an aqueous nitric acid leach solution of the ore; b) heating the solution under containment to a temperature at or above the melting point of sulfur to establish an iron content of no greater than 15 grams of iron values per liter in the leach liquor; c) adding an acid neutralizer to the liquor to establish a pH of about 1-2 therein and to produce salts of the acid which are soluble in the liquor; d) contacting the liquor with a copper specific aqueous insoluble organic extractant liquid while maintaining the foregoing pH in the liquor to extract the copper into the extractant liquid; e) relatively separating the organic extractant liquid and the liquor; and f) recovering the copper from the organic extractant liquid. The extractant will extract the copper into the extractant liquid without the problem of insoluble metal hydroxides and/or other insoluble metal and acid neutralizer salts scanning in the liquor.