Recovering Metal Values from a Metalliferrous Material

Abstract

A method of treating a metalliferrous material source is provided. The metalliferrous material source includes at least one of nickel sulphide and cobalt sulphide, and also includes iron sulphide. The metalliferrous material source is leached with a preliminary leachant in a leaching zone to effect production of a preliminary leach product including a preliminary leach solution and a preliminary leach solid residue. The preliminary leachant includes an aqueous solution comprising ammonia and ammonium sulphate. The preliminary leach solution includes at least one of dissolved nickel comprising material and dissolved cobalt comprising material. The preliminary leach solid residue includes: (i) at least one of nickel sulphide and cobalt sulphide, (ii) at least one of other nickel comprising material and other cobalt comprising material, and (iii) other iron comprising material. At least a fraction of the preliminary leach solid residue is separated from the preliminary leach product such that a metalliferrous material is provided, wherein the metalliferrous material includes at least a fraction of the separated preliminary leach solid residue. At least a fraction of the metalliferrous material is leached with an aqueous solution including dissolved sulphuric acid and dissolved sulphur dioxide in a leaching zone so as to effect production of an operative leach product including a leachate component and a solid residue component, wherein the leachate component includes nickel sulphate, cobalt sulphate, and iron sulphate, and wherein the solid residue component includes at least one of nickel sulphide and cobalt sulphide. At least a fraction of the solid residue component is separated from the operative leach product to provide a recovered solid residue component. The recovered solid residue component is recycled to the preliminary leaching zone.

1 . A method of treating a metalliferrous material source comprising:
 providing a metalliferrous material source, wherein the metalliferrous material source includes at least one metalliferrous material source-based target elemental metal and at least one metalliferrous material source-based non-target elemental metal;   providing a process feed material, wherein the process feed material includes the metalliferrous material source,   leaching the process feed material in a preliminary leaching zone to effect production of a preliminary leach product including a preliminary leach solution and a preliminary leach solid residue, wherein the preliminary leach solution includes at least one preliminary leach solution-based target elemental metal, and each one of the at least one preliminary leach solution-based target elemental metal is a one of the at least one metalliferrous material source-based target elemental metal;   separating at least a fraction of the preliminary leach solid residue from the preliminary leach product such that a metalliferrous material is provided, wherein the metalliferrous material is includes at least a fraction of the separated preliminary leach solid residue, and wherein the metalliferrous material includes at least one metalliferrous material-based target elemental metal and at least one metalliferrous material-based non-target elemental metal, wherein each one of the at least one metalliferrous material-based target elemental metal is a one of the at least one metalliferrous material source-based target elemental metal and at least one of the at least one metalliferrous material-based non-target elemental metal is a one of the at least one metalliferrous material source-based non-target elemental metal;   leaching the metalliferrous material with an operative leachant to effect production of an intermediate product mixture including an intermediate operative solution product and an intermediate solid residue, wherein the intermediate operative solution product includes at least one dissolved intermediate operative solution product-based target elemental metal, wherein each one of the at least one dissolved intermediate operative solution product-based target elemental metal is a one of the at least one metalliferrous material-based target elemental metal, and wherein the intermediate solid residue includes at least one intermediate solid residue-based target elemental metal comprising solid material, wherein each one of the at least one intermediate solid residue-based target elemental metal comprising solid material includes at least one intermediate solid residue-based target elemental metal, and wherein each one intermediate solid residue-based target elemental metal is a one of the at least one metalliferrous material-based target elemental metal;   separating at least a fraction of the intermediate solid residue from the intermediate product mixture to provide a separated intermediate solid residue; and   recycling the separated intermediate solid residue to the preliminary leaching zone such that the process feed material includes the recycled intermediate solid residue.   
     
     
         2 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the at least one dissolved intermediate operative solution product-based target elemental metal is recovered from the intermediate operative solution. 
     
     
         3 . The method as claimed in  claim 2 ,
 wherein the intermediate operative solution is contacted with a reagent so as to effect production of a product mixture including at least one dissolved reaction product based-target elemental metal comprising material and at least one solid reaction product-based non-target elemental metal comprising material, wherein each one of the at least one dissolved reaction product based-target elemental metal comprising material includes at least one dissolved reaction product based-target elemental metal which is a one of the at least one metalliferrous material-based target elemental metal, and wherein each one of the at least one solid reaction product-based non-target elemental metal comprising material includes at least one solid reaction product-based non-target elemental metal which is a one of the at least one metalliferrous material-based non-target elemental metal;   and wherein at least a fraction of the dissolved reaction product based-target elemental metal comprising material is separated from the product mixture.   
     
     
         4 . The method as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the at least one metalliferrous material-based target elemental metal includes at least one of nickel and cobalt. 
     
     
         5 . The method as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein the at least one metalliferrous material-based non-target elemental metal includes iron. 
     
     
         6 . The method as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein the operative leachant, with which the metalliferrous material is contacted, includes an aqueous solution including dissolved sulphuric acid and dissolved sulphur dioxide. 
     
     
         7 . The method as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein the reagent, with which the intermediate operative solution is contacted, includes aqueous ammonia. 
     
     
         8 . The method as claimed in  claim 7 ,
 wherein the metalliferrous material source further includes at least one metalliferrous material source-based target metal sulphide, wherein each one of the at least one metalliferrous material source-based target metal sulphide includes at least one metalliferrous material source target metal sulphide-based target elemental metal, wherein each one of the at least one metalliferrous material source target metal sulphide-based target elemental metal is a one of the at least one metalliferrous material source-based target elemental metal;   and wherein the metalliferrous material further includes at least one metalliferrous material-based target metal sulphide, and each one of the at least one metalliferrous material-based target metal sulphide is a one of the at least metalliferrous material source-based target metal sulphide and includes at least one metalliferrous material target metal sulphide-based target elemental metal which is a one of the at least one metalliferrous material source-based target elemental metal;   and wherein the intermediate solid residue, whose production is effected by the leaching of the metalliferrous material with the operative leachant, further includes at least one intermediate solid residue-based target metal sulphide, wherein each one of the at least one intermediate solid residue-based target metal sulphide is a one of the at least one metalliferrous material-based target metal sulphide, and wherein each one of the at least one intermediate solid residue-based target metal sulphide includes at least one intermediate solid residue target metal sulphide-based target elemental metal, and each one of the at least one intermediate solid residue target metal sulphide based-target elemental metal is a one of the at least one metalliferrous material-based target elemental metal.   
     
     
         9 . The method as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein the leaching of the process feed material is effected by contacting the process feed material with an aqueous solution comprising ammonia and ammonium sulphate. 
     
     
         10 . The method as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein the at least one intermediate solid residue-based target elemental metal comprising metal sulphide includes at least one of nickel sulphide and cobalt sulphide. 
     
     
         11 . The method as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein at least one of the at least one dissolved intermediate operative solution-based target elemental metal of the intermediate operative solution is the same target elemental metal as a one of the at least one intermediate solid residue target metal sulphide-based target elemental metal. 
     
     
         12 . The method as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein at least one of the at least one intermediate solid residue target metal sulphide-based target elemental metal is a one of the at least one dissolved preliminary operative solution-based target elemental metal. 
     
     
         13 . A method of treating a metalliferrous material source, comprising:
 providing a metalliferrous material source including at least one target elemental metal comprising metalliferrous material source-based metal sulphide and at least one non-target elemental metal comprising metalliferrous material source-based metal sulphide, wherein each one of the at least one target elemental metal comprising metalliferrous material source-based metal sulphide includes at least one metalliferrous material source-based target elemental metal, wherein the at least one target elemental metal comprising metalliferrous material source-based metal sulphide includes at least one of nickel sulphide and cobalt sulphide, such that the at least one metalliferrous material source-based target elemental metal includes at least one of nickel and cobalt, and wherein each one of the at least one non-target elemental metal comprising metalliferrous material source-based metal sulphide includes at least one metalliferrous material source-based non-target elemental metal, and wherein the at least one non-target elemental metal comprising metalliferrous material source-based metal sulphide includes iron sulphide, such that the at least one metalliferrous material source-based non-target elemental metal includes iron;   providing a process feed material, wherein the process feed material includes the metalliferrous material source,   leaching the process feed material in a preliminary leaching zone with a preliminary leachant to effect production of a preliminary leach product including a preliminary leach solution and a preliminary leach solid residue, wherein the preliminary leach solution includes at least one preliminary leach solution-based target elemental metal, wherein each one of the at least one preliminary leach solution-based target elemental metal is a one of the at least one metalliferrous material source-based target elemental metal, and wherein the preliminary leach solid residue includes: (i) at least one of nickel sulphide and cobalt sulphide, (ii) at least one of other nickel comprising material and other cobalt comprising material, and (iii) iron comprising material, and wherein the preliminary leachant is an aqueous solution comprising ammonia and ammonium sulphate;   separating at least a fraction of the preliminary leach solid residue from the preliminary leach product such that a metalliferrous material is provided, wherein the metalliferrous material includes at least a fraction of the separated preliminary leach solid residue;   leaching at least a fraction of the metalliferrous material with an aqueous solution including dissolved sulphuric acid and dissolved sulphur dioxide in a leaching zone so as to effect production of an operative leach product including a leachate component and a solid residue component, wherein the leachate component includes nickel sulphate, cobalt sulphate, and iron sulphate, and wherein the solid residue component includes at least one of nickel sulphide and cobalt sulphide;   separating at least a fraction of the solid residue component from the operative leach product to provide a recovered solid residue component; and   recycling the recovered solid residue component to the preliminary leaching zone.   
     
     
         14 . A method of treating a metalliferrous material source, comprising:
 providing a metalliferrous material source including at least one of nickel sulphide and cobalt sulphide, and also including iron sulphide;   leaching the metalliferrous material source with a preliminary leachant in a leaching zone to effect production of a preliminary leach product including a preliminary leach solution and a preliminary leach solid residue, wherein the preliminary leachant includes an aqueous solution comprising ammonia and ammonium sulphate, and wherein the preliminary leach solution includes at least one of dissolved nickel comprising material and dissolved cobalt comprising material, and wherein the preliminary leach solid residue includes: (i) at least one of nickel sulphide and cobalt sulphide, (ii) at least one of other nickel comprising material and other cobalt comprising material, and (iii) other iron comprising material;   separating at least a fraction of the preliminary leach solid residue from the preliminary leach product such that a metalliferrous material is provided, wherein the metalliferrous material includes at least a fraction of the separated preliminary leach solid residue;   leaching at least a fraction of the metalliferrous material with an aqueous solution including dissolved sulphuric acid and dissolved sulphur dioxide in a leaching zone so as to effect production of an operative leach product including a leachate component and a solid residue component, wherein the leachate component includes nickel sulphate, cobalt sulphate, and iron sulphate, and wherein the solid residue component includes at least one of nickel sulphide and cobalt sulphide;   separating at least a fraction of the solid residue component from the operative leach product to provide a recovered solid residue component; and   recycling the recovered solid residue component to the preliminary leaching zone.   
     
     
         15 . The method as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the reagent, with which the intermediate operative solution is contacted, includes aqueous ammonia.