Patent ID: 8454915

Claim:
A process of leaching mineral values from a permeable ore body or from particulates derived from an ore, the ore having metal carbonate and metal sulfide components, comprising: a) leaching first the metal carbonate from the ore with an aqueous leachant comprising an acid selected from the group consisting of acetic acid, formic acid, nitric acid, sulphuric acid, hydrochloric acid, fluoboric acid and fluosilicic acid and recovering at least one of manganese, calcium and magnesium; and b) leaching metal sulfides from the ore with an aqueous leachant comprising at least one ferric salt selected from the group consisting of ferric fluosilicate, ferric fluoborate, ferric sulfate, and ferric nitrate to oxidize sulfides into soluble oxidation products and recovering at least one of lead and zinc.