Patent ID: 7964016
Filing Date: 2011-06-21
Classification: C22B

Abstract:
1. A process for extraction of nickel, cobalt, and other metals from laterite ores by heap leaching, comprising the steps of: (I) crushing; (II) agglomeration; (III) stacking; and (IV) heap leaching, wherein the crushing step comprises: wherein the heap leaching step is a continuous counter-current, heap leaching process with n (n≧2 and being an integer) serial stages, the ore (solute) sequentially going through each of the n stages from first to n-th stage and, in each stage, being leached by a leaching solution that flows from n-th stage to the first stage, the ore (solute) in each of the first through the (n-1)th stage being leached by the leaching solution that leached the ore (solute) in an immediate next stage, the ore (solute) in the n-th stage being leached by a new leaching solution, upon cessation of leaching in the n-th stage, its solute being removed and new ore being introduced at the first stage, the leaching solution after flowing through the ore (solute) of the first stage being a pregnant leaching solution (PLS) and the PLS being separated to obtain nickel, cobalt, or other metals when the PLS is loaded with nickel, cobalt, or other target metals.