Production of metal products directly from underground ore deposits

Abstract

A process for producing metal compounds directly from underground mineral deposits including the steps of forming a borehole at a site into a mineral deposit containing metal compounds, inserting a slurry-forming device having a nozzle into the borehole adapted to direct pressurized water through the nozzle into the mineral deposit, supplying pressured water through the nozzle into the mineral deposit forming a mineral slurry containing metal compounds, extracting the mineral slurry containing metal compounds through the borehole, leaching the mineral slurry to convert the metal compounds to a soluble form in a leach solution, and removing metals and metal compounds by treating the leach solution with an extraction treatment adapted to remove the metal products. Steps of leaching the mineral slurry and removing metal products are performed at a location remote from the borehole site. Alternatively, the step of removing metal products from mineral slurry may be accomplished by pyrometallurgical processes.

1 . A process for producing metal compounds directly from underground mineral deposits in an environmentally sensitive location comprising the steps of:
 (a) forming a borehole from an accessible site into a mineral deposit containing metal compounds;   (b) inserting a slurry-forming device having a nozzle into the borehole adapted to direct pressurized water through the nozzle into the mineral deposit;   (c) supplying pressured water through the nozzle of the slurry-forming device into the mineral deposit forming a mineral slurry containing the metal compounds from the mineral deposit;   (d) extracting the mineral slurry containing the metal compounds through the borehole;   (e) transporting the mineral slurry away from the borehole to a location remote from the site;   (f) leaching the extracted mineral slurry at the remote location to convert the metal compound to a soluble form in a leach solution; and   (g) removing metal compounds by treating the leach solution with an extraction treatment adapted to remove the metal compounds.   
     
     
         2 . The process for producing metal compounds directly from underground mineral deposits as described in  claim 1  where the mineral deposit contains oxides of at least one metal selected from the group consisting of manganese, cobalt, copper, iron, chromium, lead, nickel, magnesium, platinum, palladium, gold, silver, aluminum, lithium, molybdenum, tungsten, uranium, vanadium, zinc, and zirconium. 
     
     
         3 . The process for producing metal compounds directly from underground mineral deposits as described in  claim 1 , where the mineral slurry is transported by a device selected from a group consisting of truck, rail, pipeline, and a combination of two or more thereof. 
     
     
         4 . The process for producing metal compounds directly from underground mineral deposits as described in  claim 1  further comprising the step of:
 prior to the step of leaching the mineral slurry, grinding particulate in the mineral slurry to a particle size of about 80% smaller than 100 mesh.   
     
     
         5 . The process for producing metal compounds directly from underground mineral deposits as described in  claim 1  further comprising the step of:
 prior to the step of leaching the mineral slurry, grinding particulate in the mineral slurry to a particle size of about 80% smaller than 200 mesh.   
     
     
         6 . The process for producing metal compounds directly from underground mineral deposits as described in  claim 1 , further comprising the step of:
 after the step of leaching the mineral slurry, treating the leach solution with one or more treatments to remove selected metals and metal compounds.   
     
     
         7 . The process for producing metal compounds directly from underground mineral deposits as described in  claim 1  where the step of leaching the mineral slurry comprises leaching the mineral slurry to put desired metal compounds into solution. 
     
     
         8 . The process for producing metal compounds directly from underground mineral deposits as described in  claim 1  where the step of leaching the mineral slurry comprises leaching the mineral slurry with sulfurous acid. 
     
     
         9 . The process for producing metal compounds directly from underground mineral deposits as described in  claim 1  where the leach solution comprises at least one reducing agent selected from a group consisting of SO 2 , carbon, reducing sugar, molasses, and a combination of two or more thereof. 
     
     
         10 . The process for producing metal compounds directly from underground mineral deposits as described in  claim 1  where the leach solution has a pH of 3 or lower. 
     
     
         11 . The process for producing metal compounds directly from underground mineral deposits as described in  claim 1  further comprising the step of:
 prior to the step of removing metal compounds, chemically treating the leach solution with oxidizing agents producing metal compounds.   
     
     
         12 . The process for producing metal compounds directly from underground mineral deposits as described in  claim 1  further comprising the step of:
 prior to the step of removing metal compounds, chemically treating the leach solution with reducing agents producing metal.   
     
     
         13 . The process for producing metal compounds directly from underground mineral deposits as described in  claim 1  where the step of removing metal compounds comprises electrochemically treating the leach solution removing selected metals or metal compounds. 
     
     
         14 . A process for producing metal compounds directly from underground mineral deposits in an environmentally sensitive location comprising the steps of:
 (a) forming a first substantially vertical borehole at a site into a mineral deposit containing metal compounds;   (b) forming a second slanted borehole at the site intersecting the first borehole in the mineral deposit containing metal compounds;   (c) inserting a slurry-forming device having a nozzle into the second borehole adapted to direct pressurized water through the nozzle into the mineral deposit;   (d) supplying pressured water through the nozzle into the mineral deposit forming a mineral slurry containing the metal compounds;   (e) extracting the mineral slurry of the metal compounds through the first borehole;   (f) transporting the mineral slurry away from the borehole to a location remote from the site   (g) leaching the extracted mineral slurry at the remote location to convert the metal compound to a water soluble form in a leach solution; and   (h) removing metal compounds by treating the leach solution with an extraction treatment adapted to remove the metal compounds.   
     
     
         15 . The process for producing metal compounds directly from underground mineral deposits as described in  claim 14 , where the mineral slurry is transported by a device selected from a group consisting of truck, rail, pipeline, and a combination of two or more thereof. 
     
     
         16 . The process for producing metal compounds directly from underground mineral deposits as described in  claim 14  where the mineral deposit contains oxides of at least one metal selected from the group consisting of manganese, cobalt, copper, iron, chromium, lead, nickel, magnesium, platinum, palladium, gold, silver, aluminum, lithium, molybdenum, tungsten, uranium, vanadium, zinc, and zirconium. 
     
     
         17 . The process for producing metal compounds directly from underground mineral deposits as described in  claim 14  further comprising the step of:
 prior to the step of leaching the mineral slurry, grinding particulate in the mineral slurry to a particle size of about 80% smaller than 100 mesh.   
     
     
         18 . The process for producing metal compounds directly from underground mineral deposits as described in  claim 14  further comprising the step of:
 prior to the step of leaching the mineral slurry, grinding particulate in the mineral slurry to a particle size of about 80% smaller than 200 mesh.   
     
     
         19 . The process for producing metal compounds directly from underground mineral deposits as described in  claim 14 , further comprising the step of:
 after the step of leaching the extracted mineral slurry, treating the leach solution with one or more treatments to remove selected metals and metal compounds.   
     
     
         20 . The process for producing metal compounds directly from underground mineral deposits as described in  claim 14  where the step of leaching the mineral slurry comprises leaching the mineral slurry to put desired metal compounds into solution. 
     
     
         21 . The process for producing metal compounds directly from underground mineral deposits as described in  claim 14  where the step of leaching the mineral slurry comprises leaching the mineral slurry with sulfurous acid. 
     
     
         22 . The process for producing metal compounds directly from underground mineral deposits as described in  claim 14  where the leach solution comprises at least one reducing agent selected from a group consisting of SO 2 , carbon, reducing sugar, molasses, and a combination of two or more thereof. 
     
     
         23 . The process for producing metal compounds directly from underground mineral deposits as described in  claim 14  where the leach solution has a pH of 3 or lower. 
     
     
         24 . The process for producing metal compounds directly from underground mineral deposits as described in  claim 14  further comprising the step of:
 prior to the step of removing metal compounds, chemically treating the leach solution with oxidizing agents producing metal compounds.   
     
     
         25 . The process for producing metal compounds directly from underground mineral deposits as described in  claim 14  further comprising the step of:
 prior to the step of removing metal compounds, chemically treating the leach solution with reducing agents producing selected metal products.   
     
     
         26 . The process for producing metal compounds directly from underground mineral deposits as described in  claim 14  where the step of removing metal compounds comprises electrochemically treating the leach solution removing selected metals or metal compounds. 
     
     
         27 . A process for producing metal compounds directly from underground mineral deposits in an environmentally sensitive location comprising the steps of:
 (a) forming a borehole from an accessible site into a mineral deposit containing metal compounds;   (b) inserting a slurry-forming device having a nozzle into the borehole adapted to direct pressurized water through the nozzle into the mineral deposit;   (c) supplying pressured water through the nozzle of the slurry-forming device into the mineral deposit forming a mineral slurry containing the metal compounds from the mineral deposit;   (d) extracting the mineral slurry containing the metal compounds through the borehole;   (e) transporting the mineral slurry away from the borehole to a location remote from the site;   (f) physically separating the extracted mineral slurry at the remote location; and   (g) removing metal compounds by treating the mineral slurry by a pyrometallurgical extraction treatment adapted to remove the metal compounds.   
     
     
         28 . The process for producing metal compounds directly from underground mineral deposits as described in  claim 27  where the mineral deposit contains oxides of manganese. 
     
     
         29 . The process for producing metal compounds directly from underground mineral deposits as described in  claim 27 , where the mineral slurry is transported by a device selected from a group consisting of truck, rail, pipeline, and a combination of two or more thereof. 
     
     
         30 . The process for producing metal compounds directly from underground mineral deposits as described in  claim 27  further comprising the step of:
 prior to the step of physically separating the mineral slurry, grinding particulate in the mineral slurry to a particle size of about 80% smaller than 100 mesh.   
     
     
         31 . The process for producing metal compounds directly from underground mineral deposits as described in  claim 27 , further comprising the step of:
 after the step of physically separating the mineral slurry, mixing the mineral slurry with at least one reducing agent selected from a group consisting of coal, coke, coke-breeze, char, reducing sugar, molasses, and a combination of two or more thereof.   
     
     
         32 . The process for producing metal compounds directly from underground mineral deposits as described in  claim 27 , further comprising the step of:
 after the step of physically separating the mineral slurry, mixing the mineral slurry with at least one additive selected from a group consisting of calcium oxide, limestone, soda ash, Na 2 CO 3 , NaHCO 3 , NaOH, borax, NaF, fluorspar, CaF 2 , aluminum smelting industry slag and a combination of two or more thereof.   
     
     
         33 . The process for producing metal compounds directly from underground mineral deposits as described in  claim 27 , where the step of removing metal compounds is performed in a rotary hearth furnace.