The invention relates to a method for the extraction of metal from metallic ores, the method including the steps of; (i) leaching the ore to provide a metal salt, (ii) forming a eutectic system comprising the metal salt, and (iii) recovering the metal from the eutectic system using electrowinning, preferably electrodeposition. The method of the present invention has particular application in respect of iron ore, particularly the isolation or iron from haematite ore, however the invention may be applied to extraction of a wide range of metal metals from a corresponding wide range of metal ores.
The invention relates to a method of separating metal from ore comprising the steps of: (a) optionally pre-processing the ore, (b) mixing the ore with a caustic medium such as one or more alkali metals or alkaline earth bases at elevated temperature above 160°C, preferably 200°C to 350°C, or more preferably 250°C to 350°C and (c) subjecting the mixture to electrolysis to deposit at least one metal at a cathode and evolve oxygen at an anode. In one embodiment, the caustic medium at elevated temperature dissolves at least one metal species from the ore. While the invention is applicable to a wide range of ores, typically the ore is an iron ore, mineral sand or nickel ore.
The invention relates to a method of providing an ore concentrate solution suitable for beneficiation processing, the method including the step of contacting an ore with one or more metal bases at elevated temperature. The one or more metal bases at elevated temperature may form a super-alkaline media that partially or fully dissolves the ore. Typically, the one or more metal bases are alkali metal bases, preferably chosen from lithium hydroxide, sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, rubidium hydroxide or caesium hydroxide, or alkaline earth bases, preferably chosen from calcium hydroxide, barium hydroxide or strontium hydroxide. The one or more metal bases at elevated temperature may form a super-alkaline media that partially or fully dissolves the ore.
C22B 3/44 - Treatment or purification of solutions, e.g. obtained by leaching by chemical processes
C25C 1/06 - Electrolytic production, recovery or refining of metals by electrolysis of solutions of iron group metals, refractory metals or manganese
C25C 1/08 - Electrolytic production, recovery or refining of metals by electrolysis of solutions of iron group metals, refractory metals or manganese of nickel or cobalt
01 - Chemical and biological materials for industrial, scientific and agricultural use
06 - Common metals and ores; objects made of metal
40 - Treatment of materials; recycling, air and water treatment,
42 - Scientific, technological and industrial services, research and design
Goods & Services
Industrial minerals; processed minerals; raw minerals for
industrial purposes; metal salts. Metal ores; base metals and common metals including
unwrought and partly wrought common metals; iron metal
alloys; non-ferrous metal alloys; alloys of common metal;
ores; metallic ores; metal concentrates; and metallurgical
products namely blooms (metallurgy), metals in powder form,
ingots of common metal and sheet metal. Treatment of materials including processing and refining of
ores, minerals and metals; extraction of metals from ores
and minerals; management and operation of facilities and
plants for treatment of materials including ores, minerals
and metals; recovery of precious metals; consultancy and
information relating to all the aforesaid services. Scientific, technological and industrial research and
development services and consultancy services included in
this class, including material analysis, testing and
research services in the fields of ore deposits and ore
processing; metallurgical and chemical analysis, testing and
research services; research, engineering and technical
consulting for the mining and ore processing industries;
technical project studies; preparation of technical reports.
01 - Chemical and biological materials for industrial, scientific and agricultural use
06 - Common metals and ores; objects made of metal
40 - Treatment of materials; recycling, air and water treatment,
42 - Scientific, technological and industrial services, research and design
Goods & Services
Industrial minerals for industrial purposes, namely hematite, goethite, magnetite, siderite, titanomagnetite, pisolitic ironstone, bauxite, cryolite, corundum, gold-polysulfide, gold-quartz, gold-telluride, gold-tetradymite, gold-antimony, gold-bismuth-sulfosalt, gold-pyrrhotite, gold-fahlore, romanechite, manganite, hausmannite, rhodochrosite, cerrusite, anglesite, calamine, smithsonite, copper pyrite, chalcopyrite, bornite, covellite, chalcocite, malachite, cuprite, copper glance, laterites, magmatic sulphide, argentite, cassiterite, tinstone, stannite, cylindrite, and quartz; Processed minerals, namely, eutectic alloys of rare earth metals; Raw minerals for industrial purposes, namely hematite, goethite, magnetite, siderite, titanomagnetite, pisolitic ironstone, bauxite, cryolite, corundum, gold-polysulfide, gold-quartz, gold-telluride, gold-tetradymite, gold-antimony, gold-bismuth-sulfosalt, gold-pyrrhotite, gold-fahlore, romanechite, manganite, hausmannite, rhodochrosite, cerrusite, anglesite, calamine, smithsonite, copper pyrite, chalcopyrite, bornite, covellite, chalcocite, malachite, cuprite and copper glance, laterites, magmatic sulphides, argentite, cassiterite, tinstone, stannite, cylindrite, and quartz; Metal salts, namely, salts of alkali metals, salts of alkaline earth metals, metallates being metals salts of acids, salts of rare earth metals, and silicates Metal ores; Base metals and common metals, namely, unwrought and partly wrought common metals; Iron metal alloys, namely, alloyed iron; Non-ferrous metal alloys; Alloys of common metal; Metallic ores; Metal ore concentrates produced by mining processes or from extraction of metals from ores and minerals; Metallurgical products, namely blooms for metallurgy, common metals in powder form, ingots of common metal, and sheet metal Treatment of materials, namely, processing and refining of ores, ore concentrates, minerals, and metals; Extraction of metals from ores, ore concentrates, and minerals, namely, processing of ores, ore concentrates, and minerals; Operation of facilities and plants for treatment of materials including ores, ore concentrates, minerals and metals, namely, metal treatment, mineral processing services, treatment and processing of ores, and treatment and processing of ore concentrates; Recovery of precious metals, namely, metal treatment; Consultancy and information relating to all the aforesaid services Scientific, technological and industrial research and development services for ore deposits and ore processing, namely, scientific research, industrial research in the field of ore deposits and ore processing, product development, and consultancy services relating to the aforesaid; Metallurgical and chemical analysis, testing and research services for ore deposits and ore processing, namely, testing, analysis, and evaluation of ores and metals; Scientific research, engineering, and technical consulting in the field of technological research and engineering for the mining and ore processing industries
