Patent ID: 8257671
Filing Date: 2012-09-04
Classification: C22B,Y02P

Abstract:
1. A method of leaching copper sulfide ore comprising: a copper leaching step of leaching copper from copper sulfide ore using a sulfuric acid solution comprising iodide ion and iron (III) ion surplus to the iodide ion as a leaching solution; a copper recovering step of recovering copper from the solution after the copper leaching step; and an iron oxidizing step of oxidizing iron (II) ion in a solution obtained after the copper recovering step to iron (III) ion, by using iron oxidizing microbes, wherein the method further comprises: an iodine removing step of reducing iodine in a solution obtained after the leaching step to less than 1 mg/L by an activated carbon treatment, before the iron oxidizing step, and before or after the copper recovering step; an iodine recovering step of recovering iodine removed in the iodine removing step; and a mixing step of mixing an aqueous acidic solution containing iron (III) ion obtained in the iron oxidizing step and an aqueous solution containing iodine obtained in the iodine recovering step, wherein a solution obtained in the mixing step is used as the leaching solution for leaching copper from copper sulfide ore in the copper leaching step.