	US 12,435,389 B2
	System and process for progressive refractory ore transformation for copper leaching
Alejandro Horacio Cartagena Fagerström, Santiago (CL); Catalina Urrejola Santa Maria, Santiago (CL); Nicole Stephanie Guajardo Contreras, Región Metropolitana de Santiago (CL); Anselmo Enrique Román Espinoza, Región Metropolitana de Santiago (CL); and Fernando Matías Bórquez Martínez, Región Metropolitana de Santiago (CL)
Assigned to Ceibo Inc., Santiago (CL)
Appl. No. 19/114,304
Filed by Ceibo Inc., Santiago (CL)
PCT Filed Jun. 12, 2024, PCT No. PCT/US2024/033545 § 371(c)(1), (2) Date Mar. 21, 2025, PCT Pub. No. WO2024/258924, PCT Pub. Date Dec. 19, 2024.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/521,010, filed on Jun. 14, 2023.
Prior Publication US 2025/0263811 A1, Aug. 21, 2025
Int. Cl. C25C 1/00 (2006.01); C22B 3/08 (2006.01); C22B 15/00 (2006.01); C25C 1/12 (2006.01)

CPC C22B 15/0071 (2013.01) [C22B 3/08 (2013.01); C25C 1/12 (2013.01)]

30 Claims

1. A method for recovering copper from copper ore, comprising:

activating crushed copper ore with an agglomerating solution comprising nitrate ions, sulfuric acid, at least one of ferric ions and ferrous ions, and an oxidizing agent;

forming a heap of the activated copper ore and allowing the heap to rest;

irrigating the heap after resting at a flow rate of 0.5-5 L/h·m²with a first reactive liquid mixture comprising nitrate ions, sulfuric acid, an oxidizing agent and at least one of ferrous and ferric ions;

subsequent to irrigating with the first reactive liquid mixture, irrigating the heap at a flow rate of 0.5-5 L/h·m²with a second reactive liquid mixture comprising sulfuric acid, nitrate ion, at least one of ferrous and ferric ions, an oxidizing agent and a copper-containing solution, until a molar ratio of dissolved copper to chalcopyrite in the heap in a range of 0.3:1 to 0.6:1 is reached; and

subjecting the heap to leaching with a leaching solution at a rate greater than 5 L/h·m²to obtain a copper-rich pregnant liquor solution (PLS).