Patent ID: 8147781
Filing Date: 2012-04-03
Classification: C22B,Y02P

Abstract:
1. A method of treating a metalliferrous material, comprising: supplying a metalliferrous material including at least one target metallic element; solubilising the metalliferrous material so as to effect production of an intermediate product including an operative solution, wherein the operative solution includes a solvent component and a solute component, and wherein the solute component includes at least one solute component-based target metallic element and each one of the at least one solute component-based target metallic element corresponds to one of the at least one target metallic element of the metalliferrous material such that the operative solution includes at least one target metallic element; contacting the operative solution with an operative reagent in an operative reaction zone so as to effect production of a product mixture including an operative reaction product and hydronium ion, wherein the operative reaction product includes at least one operative reaction product-based target metallic element and each one of the at least one operative reaction product-based target metallic element corresponds to one of the at least one solute component-based target metallic element of the operative solution, wherein the operative solution being contacted in the operative reaction zone includes a total molar quantity of target metallic element in the operative reaction zone, wherein each one of the at least one solute component-based target metallic element includes a respective target metallic element molar quantity in the operative reaction zone, such that at least one respective target metallic element molar quantity is supplied in the operative reaction zone, and wherein the total moles of target metallic element in the operative reaction zone is the sum of the at least one respective target metallic element molar quantity in the operative reaction zone; and supplying at least one hydronium ion depletion agent in the operative reaction zone such that contacting between any one of the at least one hydronium ion depletion agent and the hydronium ion in the operative reaction zone effects a reactive process which consumes the hydronium ion, wherein each one of the at least one hydronium ion depletion agent includes at least one dissolved aluminium complex material and each one of the at least one dissolved aluminium complex material includes a respective molar quantity of operative aluminium in the operative reaction zone such that each one of the at least one hydronium ion depletion agent includes at least one respective molar quantity of operative aluminium in the operative reaction zone, and such that each one of the at least one hydronium ion depletion agent includes a subtotal operative aluminium molar quantity in the operative reaction zone defined by the sum of the respective at least one respective molar quantity of operative aluminium in the operative reaction zone such that at least one subtotal operative aluminium molar quantity in the operative reaction zone is supplied, and wherein a total moles of operative aluminium in the operative reaction zone is the sum of the at least one subtotal operative aluminium molar quantity in the operative reaction zone; wherein the ratio of: (i) the total moles of operative aluminium in the operative reaction zone, to (ii) the total moles of target metallic element in the operative reaction zone, is between 0.45 and 4.4.