Methods for processing crushed solids with a liquid within a vessel

Abstract

A method is provided in which solids, such as run-of-mine ore, are crushed and reacted with a liquid within a mass flow reactor as a substantially continuous process. The reaction can include dissolving at least one material out of the crushed solids and into solution with the liquid. Solid and liquid materials migrate through and are extracted from the mass flow reactor substantially under the influence of gravity alone and without the use of other relevant driving means or forces. The respective flows of solid and liquid materials through the mass flow reactor can be controlled so as to maintain generally constant levels of each therein. At least some of the reaction can occur under a predetermined hydrostatic head of the liquid. Further processing of the solid and liquid materials can be performed, including isolation of at least one material of interest extracted from the crushed solids.

1 . A method of processing solids with a liquid, comprising: 
 providing a vessel;    crushing the solids to not less than a predetermined median particle size, thus defining crushed solids;    reacting the crushed solids with the liquid within the vessel, thus deriving a pregnant leach solution and post-reaction solids, wherein at least some of the reacting occurs under a predetermined hydrostatic head;    migrating the pregnant leach solution and the post-reaction solids through the vessel substantially under the influence of gravity alone; and    extracting the pregnant leach solution and the post-reaction solids from the vessel.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the crushed solids define a permeability with respect to the liquid within the vessel, the method further comprising: 
 controlling the permeability by way of at least one of: 
 chemically flocculating fine particles of the crushed solids to form larger particles of the crushed solids within the vessel;  
 agglomerating fine particles of the crushed solids to larger particles of the crushed solids prior to the reacting within the vessel; or  
 removing fine particles of the crushed solids by way of at least one of dry screening, wet screening, or cyclonic separation of the crushed solids prior to the reacting within the vessel.  
   
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the predetermined hydrostatic head is not less than 65 feet of the liquid.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the reacting includes leaching at least one material out of the crushed solids and into solution with the liquid, thus deriving the pregnant leach solution and the post-reaction solids.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the at least one material leached out of the crushed solids includes gold, silver, a platinum group metal, gallium, germanium, lead, copper, zinc, uranium, cobalt, nickel, a refractory metal, molybdenum, a light metal, sulfur, crude oil, caregens, or a rare earth element.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the liquid includes an aqueous solution of acid or acids, an aqueous solution of acid or acids including an oxidizing agent, sulfuric acid, a solution including sulfuric acid, an aqueous solution of an alkali or alkali's, an aqueous solution of an alkali or alkalis including an oxidizing agent, an aqueous solution of cyanide including an oxidizing agent, an aqueous solution of sodium or calcium hypochlorite, an aqueous solution of ferrous or ferric sulfate, an aqueous solution of ferrous or ferric sulfate including an oxidizing agent, an aqueous solution including a bacterial catalyst, an aqueous solution of chlorine, an aqueous solution of hydrogen peroxide, a solution of ammonium thiosulfate, or an aqueous solution of air and sulfur dioxide and copper.  
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the solids include one of gold-bearing ore, silver-bearing ore, ore bearing at least one platinum group metal, ore bearing rare earth elements, ore bearing gallium, ore bearing germanium, ore bearing light metals, ore bearing copper, ore bearing zinc, ore bearing molybdenum, ore bearing lead, ore bearing uranium, ore bearing cobalt, ore bearing nickel, ore bearing refractory metal, contaminated soil, solids containing coal, solids containing oil sands, and solids containing oil shales.  
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 1 , and further comprising adding the liquid into the vessel at a first flow rate, wherein the pregnant leach solution is extracted from the vessel at a second flow rate, and wherein the adding the liquid and the extracting the pregnant leach solution are performed simultaneously for a predetermined period of time.  
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the first and second flow rates are at least one of essentially equal or essentially constant for the predetermined period of time.  
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the predetermined period of time is not less than 3 hours.  
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 1 , and further comprising adding the crushed solids into the vessel at a first flow rate, wherein the post-reaction solids are extracted from the vessel at a second flow rate, and wherein the adding the crushed solids and the extracting the post-reaction solids are performed simultaneously for a predetermined period of time.  
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the first and second flow rates are at least one of essentially equal or essentially constant for at least the predetermined period of time.  
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the predetermined period of time is not less than 3 hours.  
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the post-reaction solids are extracted from the vessel proximate a bottom of the vessel.  
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the post-reaction solids are extracted from the vessel substantially under the influence of gravity alone.  
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the pregnant leach solution is extracted from the vessel substantially under the influence of gravity alone.  
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 1 , and further comprising separating at least some of the post-reaction solids into at least two distinct groups, wherein each group corresponds to a predetermined median particle size of post-reaction solid.  
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 1 , and further comprising removing pregnant leach solution from at least some of the post-reaction solids.  
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 18 , including centrifuging at least some of the post-reaction solids to remove at least some of the pregnant leach solution.  
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 18 , including passing at least some of the post-reaction solids along a screen to remove at least some of the pregnant leach solution.  
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 18 , including leaching at least some of the post-reaction solids in a barren solution wash, thus deriving an aqueous leachate.  
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the vessel is a first vessel, the method further comprising: 
 providing a second vessel;    performing the leaching of at least some of the post-reaction solids in the barren solution wash within the second vessel, thus deriving the aqueous leachate and post-leaching solids; and    extracting the aqueous leachate and the post-leaching solids from the second vessel.    
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 1 , and further comprising extracting at least one material from the pregnant leach solution.  
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the at least one material includes gold, silver, a platinum group metal, gallium, germanium, molybdenum, lead, copper, zinc, uranium, cobalt, nickel, a refractory metal, a light metal, crude oil, sulfur, or a rare earth element.  
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the extracting includes at least one of using a solvent extraction , chemical precipitation, or electrolytic precipitation.  
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 1 , and further comprising controlling at least one of pH, Eh, temperature, a gas concentration, or a liquid concentration within the vessel during the reacting the crushed solids with the liquid.  
   
   
       27 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the vessel is a first vessel and the liquid is a first liquid and the pregnant leach solution is a first leach solution and the post-reaction solids are first post-reaction solids, the method further comprising: 
 providing a second vessel; and    reacting at least some of the post-reaction solids with a second liquid within the second vessel, thus deriving a second pregnant leach solution and second post-reaction solids.    
   
   
       28 . The method of  claim 1 , and further comprising injecting a gas into the vessel during at least some of the reacting the crushed solids with the liquid.  
   
   
       29 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the gas is defined by an oxidizing gas.  
   
   
       30 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the crushed solids within the vessel define a permeability with respect to the liquid, the method further comprising: 
 providing at least one essentially inert solid within the vessel during the reacting so as to increase the permeability of the crushed solids with respect to the liquid.    
   
   
       31 . A method of processing mine ore with a lixiviant, comprising: 
 providing a reaction vessel defining solids outlet openings and liquid outlet openings;    crushing the mine ore to not greater than a predetermined size, thus defining crushed ore;    reacting the crushed ore with the lixiviant within the reaction vessel, thus deriving a pregnant leach solution and post-reaction solids;    extracting at least some of the pregnant leach solution from the reaction vessel via the liquid outlet openings substantially under the influence of gravity alone; and    extracting the post-reaction solids and at least some of the pregnant leach solution from the reaction vessel via the solids outlet openings substantially under the influence of gravity alone.    
   
   
       32 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the predetermined size is such that at least 80 percent of the crushed ore is not greater than 6 inches in size.  
   
   
       33 . The method of  claim 31 , and further comprising removing solids of less than 0.15 millimeters from the crushed ore prior to the reacting the crushed ore with the lixiviant within the reaction vessel, the removed solids defining fine solids.  
   
   
       34 . The method of  claim 33 , and further comprising removing at least one material from the fine solids by way of leaching the fine solids.  
   
   
       35 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein: 
 the reacting includes dissolving at least one material out of the crushed ore and into solution with the lixiviant, thus deriving the pregnant leach solution; and    the at least one material includes gold, silver, a platinum group metal, gallium, lead, germanium, copper, molybdenum, zinc, uranium, cobalt, nickel, a refractory metal, a light metal, sulfur, crude oil, or a rare earth element.    
   
   
       36 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the lixiviant includes an aqueous solution of acid or acids, an aqueous solution of acid or acids including an oxidizing agent, sulfuric acid, a solution including sulfuric acid, an aqueous solution of a base or bases, an aqueous solution of a base or bases including an oxidizing agent, an aqueous solution of cyanide including an oxidizing agent, an aqueous solution of sodium or calcium hypochlorite, an aqueous solution of ferrous or ferric sulfate, an aqueous solution of ferrous or ferric sulfate including an oxidizing agent, an aqueous solution including a bacterial catalyst, an aqueous solution of chlorine, an aqueous solution of hydrogen peroxide, a solution of ammonium thiosulfate, a lixiviant for leaching uranium, or an aqueous solution of air and sulfur dioxide and copper.  
   
   
       37 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the crushed ore includes gold-bearing ore, silver-bearing ore, ore bearing at least one platinum group metal, ore bearing rare earth elements, ore bearing gallium, ore bearing germanium, ore bearing light metals, ore bearing copper, ore bearing zinc, ore bearing molybdenum, ore bearing lead, ore bearing uranium, ore bearing cobalt, ore bearing nickel, ore bearing refractory metals, solids containing coal, solids containing oil sands, or solids containing oil shales.  
   
   
       38 . The method of  claim 31 , and further comprising introducing the lixiviant into the reaction vessel at a first flow rate, wherein the pregnant leach solution is extracted from the reaction vessel at a second flow rate, and wherein the first and second flow rates are simultaneous.  
   
   
       39 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the first and second flow rates are essentially equal, essentially constant, or essentially equal and constant.  
   
   
       40 . The method of  claim 31 , and further comprising introducing the crushed ore into the reaction vessel at a first flow rate, wherein the post-reaction solids are extracted from the reaction vessel at a second flow rate, and wherein the first and second flow rates are simultaneous.  
   
   
       41 . The method of  claim 40 , wherein the first and second flow rates are essentially equal, essentially constant, or essentially equal and constant.  
   
   
       42 . The method of  claim 31 , and further comprising separating at least two predetermined sizes of solids from at least some of the post-reaction solids.  
   
   
       43 . The method of  claim 31 , and further comprising removing pregnant leach solution from at least some of the post-reaction solids, wherein the removing the pregnant leach solution includes at least one of: 
 centrifuging at least some of the post-reaction solids;    passing at least some of the post-reaction solids through a filter;    passing at least some of the post-reaction solids along a screen; or    leaching at least some of the post-reaction solids in barren solution wash, thus deriving an aqueous leachate.    
   
   
       44 . The method of  claim 31 , and further comprising separating at least one dissolved material out of the pregnant leach solution, wherein the at least one dissolved material includes gold, silver, a platinum group metal, gallium, germanium, copper, zinc, uranium, cobalt, molybdenum, nickel, lead, a refractory metal, a light metal, crude oil, caregens, or a rare earth element.  
   
   
       45 . The method of  claim 31 , and further comprising controlling at least one of temperature, pH, Eh, a gas concentration, or liquid concentration, within the reaction vessel during the reacting the crushed ore with the lixiviant.