Patent ID: 6183706
Filing Date: 2001-02-06
Classification: B01F,C22B,Y02P

Abstract:
A method for recovering a metal from a metal-containing material by autoclaving, comprising:(a) providing an autoclave containing a metal-containing material in a metal-containing slurry and an agitation assembly;(b) agitating the metal-containing slurry in the autoclave by rotating a rotatable shaft that is part of the agitation assembly, the rotatable shaft including (i) a first inlet located above the slurry surface for removing a recycled gas from the interior of the autoclave; (ii) a second inlet for a fresh oxygen-containing gas from a source external to the autoclave; (iii) a plurality of outlets extending outwardly from an intermediate portion of the shaft and located at intervals around the periphery of the shaft such that the outlets rotate when the shaft rotates; (iv) a passage in the rotatable shaft connecting the first and second inlets with the plurality of outlets; and (v) a plurality of mixing blades located on an end portion of the shaft and below the plurality of outlets, wherein during the agitating step (b), an oxygen-containing gas that includes the recycled gas and fresh oxygen-containing gas is passed through the rotatable shaft and the plurality of outlets and dispersed radially outwardly from the shaft into the slurry; and(c) recovering the metal.