Patent ID: 8834816
Filing Date: 2014-09-16
Classification: C02F,C22B,Y02P

Abstract:
1. A process for treating an aqueous cyanide-produced mining effluent containing anionic copper and gold to selectively remove dissolved species therefrom, comprising: a) passing said effluent sequentially through an array of 2 or more vertically elongated conduits having inlet and outlet extremities and arranged in series flow connectivity between upstream and downstream regions of said array and terminating in an exit passage, each conduit containing a stationary permeable bed of an absorbent polymer having selective affinity for dissolved anionic metal species, b) adjusting the rate of flow so as to produce a residence time of said effluent within said array adequate to enable one or more metal species to form a sharply defined absorption zone that travels toward said exit passage while defining an upstream region wherein the absorbent is saturated with said metal species, c) halting the flow through said upstream region, d) disconnecting from said connectivity those conduits within said upstream region containing metal-saturated absorbent, e) eluting the absorbed metal species from said disconnected conduits with a solution to produce an emergent elutriating solution, f) re-connecting said eluted conduits with the remaining conduits, and g) resuming flow of said effluent through said array of conduits.