Process for recovering metals by reduction and carbonylation

Abstract

A process for treating a feed material composition includes a solid particulate precious metal material-rich feed material composition fraction and a solid particulate rare earth metal material-rich feed material composition fraction, in which the solid particulate precious metal material-rich feed material composition fraction includes one or more precious metals, and in which the solid particulate rare earth metal material-rich feed material composition fraction includes one or more rare earth metals. The process includes contacting the solid particulate feed material composition with a reducing agent within a reducing agent contacting zone to effect production of a reaction intermediate solid particulate material composition.

1 . A process for treating a feed material composition, comprising:
 contacting the feed material composition with a reducing agent in a reducing agent zone to effect production of a reaction intermediate material composition, wherein the feed material composition is configured to be separated into a target metal material-rich feed material composition separation fraction and one or more target metal material-lean feed material composition separation fractions, in response to application of a separation agent that is associated with a separation agent-responsive characteristic, such that the target metal material-rich feed material composition separation fraction would become separated from the one or more target metal material-lean feed composition separation fractions, and such that one or more separations would be effected and each one of the one or more separations would be defined by the separation of the target metal material-rich feed material composition separation fraction from a one of the one or more target metal material-lean feed material composition separation fractions, wherein each one of the one or more separations of the target metal material-rich feed material composition separation fraction from a one of the one or more target metal material-lean feed material composition separation fractions would be, at least partially, based on a difference between a value of a separation agent-responsive characteristic of the target metal material-rich feed material composition separation fraction and a value of the separation agent-responsive characteristic of the target metal material-lean feed material composition separation fraction, and such that one or more feed material composition separation fraction pairs would be defined, wherein, for each one of the one or more feed material composition separation fraction pairs, a one of the pair would be defined by the target metal material-rich feed material composition separation fraction and the other one of the pair would be defined by a one of the one or more target metal material-lean feed material composition separation fractions, and, for each one of the one or more feed material composition separation fraction pairs, the mass concentration of target metal material of the target metal material-lean feed material composition separation fraction would be less than the mass concentration of the target metal material of the target metal material-rich feed material composition separation fraction, and, also, for each one of the one or more feed material composition separation fraction pairs, the absolute value of the difference between a value of the separation agent-responsive characteristic of the target metal material-lean feed material composition separation fraction and a value of the separation agent-responsive characteristic of the target metal material-rich feed material composition separation fraction would be less than a maximum operative difference;   contacting the reaction intermediate material composition with carbon monoxide within a carbonylation zone so as to effect production of a post-carbonylation material composition, wherein the post-carbonylation material composition is configured to be separated into a target metal material-rich post-carbonylation material composition separation fraction and one or more target metal material-lean post-carbonylation material composition separation fractions, in response to application of a separation agent that is associated with a separation agent-responsive characteristic, such that the target metal material-rich post-carbonylation material composition separation fraction would become separated from the one or more target metal material-lean post-carbonylation material composition separation fractions, and such that one or more separations would become effected and each one of the one or more separations would be defined by the separation of the target metal material-rich post-carbonylation material composition separation fraction from a one of the one or more target metal material-lean post-carbonylation material composition separation fractions, wherein each one of the one or more separations of the target metal material-rich post-carbonylation material composition separation fraction from a one of the one or more target metal material-lean post-carbonylation material composition separation fractions would be, at least partially, based on a difference between a value of the separation agent-responsive characteristic of the target metal material-rich post-carbonylation material composition separation fraction and a value of the separation agent-responsive characteristic of target metal material-lean post-carbonylation material composition separation fraction, and such that one or more post-carbonylation material composition separation fraction pairs would be defined, wherein, for each one of the one or more post-carbonylation material composition separation fraction pairs, a one of the pair would be defined by the target metal material-rich post-carbonylation material composition separation fraction and the other one of the pair would be defined by a one of the one or more target metal material-lean post-carbonylation material composition separation fractions, and, for each one of the one or more post-carbonylation material composition separation fraction pairs, the mass concentration of target metal material of the target metal material-lean post-carbonylation material composition separation fraction would be less than the mass concentration of target metal material of the target metal material-rich post-carbonylation material composition separation fraction, and, also, for each one of the one or more post-carbonylation material composition separation fraction pairs, the absolute value of the difference between a value of the separation agent-responsive characteristic of the target metal material-lean post-carbonylation material composition separation fraction and a value of the separation agent-responsive characteristic of the target metal material-rich post-carbonylation material composition separation fraction would be greater than or equal to the maximum operative difference;   wherein the target metal material is defined by either one of: (i) one or more precious metals, or (ii) one or more rare earth metals.   
     
     
         2 . The process as claimed in  claim 1 ;
 wherein the one or more target metal material-lean post-carbonylation material composition separation fractions, from which the target metal material-rich post-carbonylation material composition separation fraction is separable, define the remainder of the post-carbonylation material composition;   and wherein the one or more target metal-lean feed material composition separation fractions, from which the target metal-rich feed material composition separation fraction would become separated upon separation of the target metal-rich feed material composition separation fraction from the feed material composition, define the remainder of the feed material composition.   
     
     
         3 . The process as claimed in  claim 1 ;
 wherein the contacting of the reaction intermediate material composition with the carbon monoxide effects liberation of carbon monoxide-reactive metal material from the feed material composition, wherein the carbon monoxide-reactive metal material is defined by one or more carbon monoxide-reactive metals.   
     
     
         4 . The process as claimed in  claim 1 ;
 wherein the feed material composition is defined by solid particulate material, such that the feed material composition is a solid particulate feed material composition, and such that the target metal material-rich feed material composition separation fraction, which is separable from the solid particulate feed material composition, is defined by solid particulate material, such that the target metal material-rich feed material composition separation fraction is a solid particulate target metal material-rich feed material composition separation fraction, and such that each one of the one or more target metal material-lean feed material composition separation fractions is defined by solid particulate material, such that each one of the one or more target metal material-lean feed material composition separation fractions is a solid particulate target metal material-lean feed material composition separation fraction, and, for each one of the one or more feed material composition separation fraction pairs, the mass concentration of target metal material of the solid particulate target metal material-lean feed material composition separation fraction would be less than the mass concentration of target metal material of the solid particulate target metal material-rich feed material composition separation fraction.   
     
     
         5 . The process as claimed in  claim 4 ;
 wherein at least 90% of the feed material composition material has a particle size of less than one (1) millimetre.   
     
     
         6 . The process as claimed in  claim 4 ;
 wherein the post-carbonylation material composition is defined by solid particulate material, such that the post-carbonylation material composition is a solid particulate post-carbonylation material composition, and such that the target metal material-rich post-carbonylation material composition separation fraction, which is separable from the solid particulate post-carbonylation material composition, is defined by solid particulate material, such that the target metal material-rich post-carbonylation material composition separation fraction is a solid particulate target metal material-rich post-carbonylation material composition separation fraction, and such that each one of the one or more target metal material-lean post-carbonylation material composition separation fractions is defined by solid particulate material, such that each one of the one or more target metal material-lean feed material composition separation fractions is a solid particulate target metal material-lean post-carbonylation material composition separation fraction, and, for each one of the one or more feed material composition separation fraction pairs, the mass concentration of target metal material of the solid particulate target metal material-lean post-carbonylation material composition separation fraction would be less than the mass concentration of target metal material of the solid particulate target metal material-rich post-carbonylation material composition separation fraction.   
     
     
         7 . The process as claimed in  claim 6 ;
 wherein the target metal material is defined by one or more precious metals, and, for each one of the one or more feed material composition separation fraction pairs, the mass concentration of the one or more precious metals of the solid particulate target metal material-lean feed material composition separation fraction would be less than the mass concentration of the one or more precious metals of the solid particulate target metal material-rich feed material composition separation fraction.   
     
     
         8 . The process as claimed in  claim 7 ;
 wherein, for each one of the one or more feed material composition separation fraction pairs, the mass concentration of the one or more precious metals of the solid particulate target metal material-rich feed material composition separation fraction would be greater than the mass concentration of the one or more precious metals of the solid particulate target metal material-lean feed material composition separation fraction by at least 100%.   
     
     
         9 . The process as claimed in  claim 7 ;
 wherein, for each one of the one or more feed material composition separation fraction pairs, the mass concentration of carbon monoxide-reactive metal material of the solid particulate target metal material-rich feed material composition separation fraction would be greater than the mass concentration of carbon monoxide-reactive metal material of the solid particulate target metal material-lean feed material composition separation fraction.   
     
     
         10 . The process as claimed in  claim 8 ;
 wherein, for each one of the one or more feed material composition separation fraction pairs, the mass concentration of carbon monoxide-reactive metal material of the solid particulate target metal material-rich feed material composition separation fraction would be greater than the mass concentration of carbon monoxide-reactive metal material of the solid particulate target metal material-lean feed material composition separation fractions, by at least 100%.   
     
     
         11 . The process as claimed in  claim 7 ;
 wherein each one of the one or more target metal material-lean feed material composition separation fractions is a rare earth metal material-rich feed material composition separation fraction including one or more rare earth metals, and, for each one of the one or more feed material composition separation fraction pairs, the mass concentration of the one or more rare earth metals of the solid particulate target metal material-lean feed material composition separation fraction would be greater than the mass concentration of the one or more rare earth metals of the solid particulate target metal material-rich feed material composition separation fraction.   
     
     
         12 . The process as claimed in  claim 7 ;
 wherein, for each one of the one or more feed material composition separation fraction pairs, the mass concentration of the one or more rare earth metals of the solid particulate target metal material-lean feed material composition separation fraction would be greater than the mass concentration of the one or more rare earth metals of the solid particulate target metal material-rich feed material composition separation fraction by at least 100%.   
     
     
         13 . The process as claimed in  claim 6 ;
 wherein the target metal material is defined by one or more rare earth metals, and, for each one of the one or more feed material composition separation fraction pairs, the mass concentration of the one or more rare earth metals of the solid particulate target metal material-lean feed material composition separation fraction would be less than the mass concentration of the one or more rare earth metals of the solid particulate target metal material-rich feed material composition separation fraction.   
     
     
         14 . The process as claimed in  claim 13 ;
 wherein, for each one of the one or more feed material composition separation fraction pairs, the mass concentration of the one or more rare earth metals of the solid particulate target metal material-rich feed material composition separation fraction would be greater than the mass concentration of the one or more rare earth metals of the solid particulate target metal material-lean feed material composition separation fraction by at least 100%.   
     
     
         15 . The process as claimed in  claim 13 ;
 wherein, for each one of the one or more feed material composition separation fraction pairs, the mass concentration of carbon monoxide-reactive metal material of the solid particulate target metal material-lean feed material composition separation fraction would be greater than the mass concentration of carbon monoxide-reactive metal material of the solid particulate target metal material-rich feed material composition separation fraction.   
     
     
         16 . The process as claimed in  claim 13 ;
 wherein, for each one of the one or more feed material composition separation fraction pairs, the mass concentration of carbon monoxide-reactive metal material of the solid particulate target metal material-lean feed material composition separation fraction would be greater than the mass concentration of carbon monoxide-reactive metal material of the solid particulate target metal material-rich feed material composition separation fractions, by at least 100%.   
     
     
         17 . The process as claimed in  claim 13 ;
 wherein each one of the one or more target metal material-lean feed material composition separation fractions would be a precious metal material-rich feed material composition separation fraction including one or more precious metals, and, for each one of the one or more feed material composition separation fraction pairs, the mass concentration of the one or more precious metals of the solid particulate target metal material-lean feed material composition separation fraction would be greater than the mass concentration of the one or more precious metals of the solid particulate target metal material-rich feed material composition separation fraction.   
     
     
         18 . The process as claimed in  claim 13 ;
 wherein, for each one of the one or more feed material composition separation fraction pairs, the mass concentration of the one or more precious metals of the solid particulate target metal material-lean feed material composition separation fraction would be greater than the mass concentration of the one or more precious metals of the solid particulate target metal material-rich feed material composition separation fraction by at least 100%.   
     
     
         19 . The process as claimed in  claim 3 ;
 wherein carbon monoxide-reactive metal material is at least one of nickel and iron.   
     
     
         20 . The process as claimed in  claim 1 ;
 wherein the feed material composition is derived from an ore.   
     
     
         21 .- 100 . (canceled)