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 |
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.
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