Patent ID: 7534285

Claim:
A method for extracting a metal from a mineral ore, said mineral ore including a refractory ore contained in a gangue, said method comprising: crushing said mineral ore to liberate said refractory ore from said gangue; processing said mineral ore after said mineral ore has been crushed to produce a concentrate in which a concentration of said refractory ore is larger than a concentration of said refractory ore in said mineral ore; and a concentration reject in which a concentration of said refractory ore is smaller than a concentration of said refractory ore in said mineral ore; thickening and filtering said concentrate; adding an extraction solution to said concentrate, said extraction solution having a capability to dissolve said metal; micronizing said concentrate; after micronizing said concentrate, mixing said concentrate with said concentration reject; and after said extraction solution has, at least in part, dissolved said metal, filtering said concentrate mixed with said concentration reject to recover said extraction solution; whereby said concentration reject traps said micronized concentrate for allowing the recovery of said extraction solution by filtering of said concentrate mixed with said concentration reject.