Patent ID: 6746512
Filing Date: 2004-06-08
Classification: C22B,Y02P

Abstract:
A hydrometallurgical process for extracting copper and any one or more than one of zinc, silver and gold from a sulphide ore or concentrate which includes a range of mineral species that contain copper and one or more than one of zinc, silver and gold, which process includes two or more than two leach steps using leach liquors of different composition, each leach step selectively leaching one or more than one metal from the minerals, separating a solid residue and an exit leach liquor after each leach step, leaching the solid residue produced in each leach step in a successive leach step, and recovering metal from the exit leach liquor produced in each leach step, and wherein one of the leach steps includes an oxidative acid sulphate high pressure leach carried out at over 200Â° C. which converts to sulphate much of the sulphur present in the sulphide ore or concentrate or the solid residue of a previous leach step and extracts copper and zinc.