Patent ID: 8357227
Filing Date: 2013-01-22
Classification: C22B,Y02P

Abstract:
1. A method for the removal of one or more metal impurities in chloride-based copper recovery processes, comprising: contacting an aqueous strong chloride solution, having an acidic or neutral pH of at least 6 and an alkali chloride content of at least 200 g/l, and comprising monovalent copper and one or more metal impurities with a chelating ion-exchange resin under conditions that: thereby forming: separating said bound chelating ion-exchange resin from said metal impurity depleted aqueous strong chloride solution comprising monovalent copper; displacing a residual metal impurity depleted aqueous strong chloride solution comprising monovalent copper from the bound chelating ion-exchange resin by contacting the bound chelating ion-exchange resin with an NaCl solution; eluting said one or more metal impurities from the bound chelating ion-exchange resin to form an eluted chelating ion-exchange resin; regenerating the eluted chelating ion-exchange resin by contacting it with an alkaline solution; and displacing the alkaline solution from the chelating ion-exchange resin with an NaCl solution before contacting the chelating ion-exchange resin with an aqueous strong chloride solution comprising monovalent copper and one or more metal impurities.