Patent ID: 6207443
Filing Date: 2001-03-27
Classification: C22B,Y02P

Abstract:
A process for recovering a metal from a sulfidic feed material containing the metal as a sulfide, comprising:(a) comminuting a feed material to form a comminuted material;(b) separating the comminuted material by screening into an oversized fraction and an undersized fraction, the oversized fraction having a mean particle size greater than the undersized fraction; wherein the undersized fraction constitutes no more than about 15% by weight of the feed material;(c) separating the undersized fraction into a coarse undersized fraction and a fine undersized fraction, the coarse undersized fraction having a mean particle size greater than the fine undersized fraction; (d) floating at least a portion of the fine undersized fraction to form a tailing fraction and a concentrate fraction, wherein the fine undersized fraction has a P.sub.80 size ranging from about 10 to about 200 microns;(e) at least partially biooxidizing at least a portion of the concentrate fraction to form a biooxidized fraction, wherein the biooxidized fraction includes an organism for oxidizing the sulfide sulfur in the feed material;(f) combining at least a portion of the biooxidized fraction, which includes the organism, and at least a portion of the oversized fraction of the feed material to form a combined feed material; and(g) thereafter biooxidizing the combined feed material.