US 11,673,812 B2
Countercurrent process for recovering high purity copper sulfate values from low grade ores
Willem P. C. Duyvesteyn, Reno, NV (US)
Assigned to Scandium International Mining Corporation, Sparks, NV (US)
Filed by Scandium International Mining Corp., Sparks, NV (US)
Filed on Aug. 16, 2020, as Appl. No. 16/994,625.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/886,966, filed on Aug. 15, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2021/0347651 A1, Nov. 11, 2021
Int. Cl. C01F 11/00 (2006.01); C01F 11/46 (2006.01); C22B 3/08 (2006.01); C22B 15/00 (2006.01); B01J 47/026 (2017.01); C22B 3/42 (2006.01)
CPC C01F 11/468 (2013.01) [B01J 47/026 (2013.01); C22B 3/08 (2013.01); C22B 3/42 (2013.01); C22B 15/0071 (2013.01); C01P 2006/82 (2013.01)] 28 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for extracting copper values from a low grade copper ore feedstock, comprising:
providing an ore feedstock of a copper oxide ore;
subjecting the ore feedstock to at least one process selected from the group consisting of primary crushing processes and secondary crushing processes, thereby obtaining crushed ore;
subjecting the crushed ore to acid curing, thereby obtaining a cured ore;
subjecting the cured ore to vat or heap leaching, thus yielding a leachate containing copper and base metals;
passing the leachate through a first ion exchange resin which is selective to base metals and copper, thereby removing a portion of the copper and a portion of the base metals from the leachate and yielding a first loaded resin and a first treated leachate;
stripping the base metals and the copper from the first loaded resin with a first stripping solution, thereby yielding a copper-loaded stripping solution;
selectively extracting copper values from the stripping solution via solvent extraction, thereby obtaining a copper bearing extract and a raffinate; and
crystallizing a copper salt from the copper bearing extract, thereby obtaining a crystallized copper salt.