Use of oxygenated or polyoxygenated weak acids, or minerals, compounds or derivatives that generate same, in copper electrowinning processes in cathodes or anodes of electrolytic cells, originating from the leaching of a copper mineral

Abstract

The invention relates to the use of oxygenated or polyoxygenated weak acids, or minerals or compounds that generate the same to stabilize and buffer the electrolyte solution, thereby improving its conductivity, and/or catalytically promoting copper electrodeposition. Additionally, a copper electrowinning procedure is described that comprises the addition of a necessary quantity of an oxygenated or polyoxygenated weak acid, or mineral or compound that generates the same, to the electrodeposition process; wherein the necessary quantity of weak acid will depend on the characteristics of the mineral, the electrolyte solution, and the current density used. In the invention, the addition of oxygenated or polyoxygenated weak acids, minerals, compounds or derivatives that generate the same to the charged electrolytes coming from the solvent extraction phase and entering the electrowinning (EW) stage serves the purpose of homogenizing the current density within the electrolytic cell, resulting in increased electrical energy consumption efficiency versus the amount of copper deposited.

1 . Use of oxygenated or polyoxygenated weak acids, or minerals or compounds that generate the same COMPRISING stabilization and buffering of the electrolyte solution, thereby improving its conductivity, and/or catalytically promoting copper electrodeposition, even in processes with high current intensity and high speed cation deposition 
     
     
         2 . Use of oxygenated or polyoxygenated weak acids, or minerals or compounds that generate the same in a copper electrodeposition process of  claim 1  COMPRISING a weak acid that can be, among others, boric acid or phosphoric acid. 
     
     
         3 . Use of oxygenated or polyoxygenated weak acids, or minerals or compounds that generate the same in a copper electrodeposition process of  claim 1  COMPRISING a weak acid that is preferably boric acid, also called orthoboric acid. 
     
     
         4 . Use of oxygenated or polyoxygenated weak acids, or minerals or compounds that generate the same in a copper electrodeposition process of  claim 1  COMPRISING a weak acid that is preferably phosphoric acid, also called orthophosphoric acid. 
     
     
         5 . Use of oxygenated or polyoxygenated weak acids, or minerals or compounds that generate the same in a copper electrodeposition process of  claim 1  COMPRISING a material containing boron or phosphorus. 
     
     
         6 . Use of oxygenated or polyoxygenated weak acids, or minerals or compounds that generate the same in a copper electrodeposition process of  claim 1  COMPRISING a material containing boron. 
     
     
         7 . Use of oxygenated or polyoxygenated weak acids, or minerals or compounds that generate the same in a copper electrodeposition process of  claim 1  COMPRISING a material containing phosphorus. 
     
     
         8 . Use of oxygenated or polyoxygenated weak acids, or minerals or compounds that generate the same in a copper electrodeposition process of  claim 1  COMPRISING the mineral boron that can be selected, without limitation, from ulexite, colemanite, kernite, pandermite, bakerite, datolite, elbaite, admontite, aksaite, ameghinite, ammonioborite, aristarainite, avogadrite, axinite, bandylite, barberiite, behierite, berborite, biringuccite, boracite, boralsilite, borax, borazon, borcarite, bormuscovite, cahnite, calciborite, carboborite, chambersite, charlesite, congolite, danburite, datolite, diomignite, dravite, dumortierite, eremeevite, ericaite, ezcurrite, fabianite, ferruccite, flolovite, fluoborite, foitite, frolovite, garrelsite, gaudefroyite, ginorite, gowerite, halurgite, hambergite, heidornite, henmilite, hexahydroborite, hydroboracite, hydrochlorborite, hilgardite, holtite, howlite, hulsite, hungchaoite, inderborite, inderite, inyoite, jeremejevite, jimboite, kalborsite, karlite, katoite, kornerupine, kotoite, kurnakovite, lardarellite, ludwigite, lueneburgite, luidwigite, manandonite, mcallisterite, metaborite, meyerhofferite, moydite, nasinite, nifontovite, nobleite, nordenskjoeldine, olenite, oyelite, painite, pentahydroborate, pinnoite, povondraite, preobrazhenskite, priceite, pringleite, probertite, reedmergnerite, rhodozite, rivadavite, roweite, sabinite, sakhite, santite, sassolite, sborgite, schorl, seamanite, searlesite, serendibite, sibirskite, sinhalite, solongoite, spurrite, stillwellite, strontioborite, studenitsite, sturmanite, suanite, sulfoborite, sussexite, szaibelyite, teepleite, tertschite, tincalconite, tunellite, tusionite, tyretskite, uralborite, veatchite, boric vesuvianite, vistepite, volkovskite, vonsenite, warwickite, wawayandaite, wighmanite, wiluite, and wiserite, among others. 
     
     
         9 . Use of oxygenated or polyoxygenated weak acids, or minerals or compounds that generate the same in a copper electrodeposition process of  claim 1  COMPRISING the mineral phosphorus that can be selected, without limitation, from aheylite, aldermanite, alforsite, alluaudite, althausite, amblygonite, anapaite, apatite, arctite, ardealite, arupite, augelite, autunite, babefphite, barbosalite, baricite, barringerite, bassetite, bauxite, bearthite, belovite, benauite, beraunite, berlinite, bermanite, bertossaite, beryllonite, beusite, biphosphamite, bobierrite, boggildite, bonshtedtite, brabantite, bradleyite, brazilianite, brianite, britholite, brushite, buchwaldite, cacoxenite, canaphite, cassidyite, chalcosiderite, cheralite, churchite, chlorapatite, coffinite, collinsite, coeruleolactite, corkite, cornetite, crandallite, crawfordite, curetonite, cyrilovite, diadochite, dittmarite, dorfmanite, dufrenite, dumontite, earlshannonite, ehrleite, eosphorite, fairfieldite, farringtonite, florencite, fluellite, fluorapatite, fluorellestadite, foggite, fornacite, francoanellite, fransoletite, frondelite, furongite, gainesite, galileiite, gatehouseite, gatumbaite, giniite, girvasite, glucine, gorceixite, gordonite, goyazite, graftonite, grattarolaite, grayite, hentschelite, herderite, heterosite, hinsdalite, holtedahlite, hopeite, hotsonite, hureaulite, hurlbutite, hydroxylapatite, hydroxylherderite, hydroxyl-piromorphite, isokite, jagowerite, kaluginite, kidwellite, kingite, kingsmountite, kintoreite, kleemanite, kolbeckite, koninckite, kosnarite, kovdorskite, kribergite, kryzhanovskite, kuksite, lacroixite, landesite, laubmanite, laueite, lazulite, lehnerite, lermontovite, leucophosphite, libethenite, likasite, lipscombite, liroconite, lithiophilite, lithiophosphatite, lithiophosphate, lomonosovite, ludlamite, luneburgite, magniotriplite, mahlmoodite, mangangordonite, maricite, matulaite, metaankoleite, metaswitzerite, metatorbenite, metavariscite, metavauxite, mimetite, mitridatite, monazite, monetite, montebrasite, montgomerite, moraesite, moreauite, morinite, mundite, nabaphite, nafedovite, nalipoite, nasicon, nastrophite, natrophilite, natrophosphato, nefedovite, newberyite, niahite, ningyoite, nissonite, olympite, overite, oxyapatite, parafransoletite, parahopeite, paravauxite, parsonite, paulkellerite, petersite, phosphammite, phosphoellenbergerite, phosphoferrite, phosphofibrite, phosphophyllite, phosphorroslerite, phosphosiderite, phosphovanadylite, phosphuranylite, phosinaite, phuralumite, phurcalite, pyromorphite, pyrophosphite, plumbogummite, pretulite, pseudolaueite, pseudomalachite, purpurite, reichenbachite, robertsite, rockbridgeite, rodolicoite, sabugalite, saleeite, sampleite, satterlyite, scholzite, schreibersite, scorzalite, seamanite, segelerite, senegalite, sengalite, sidorenkite, sieleckiite, sigloite, silicocarnotite, spencerite, stercorite, stewartite, strengite, strunzite, struvite, svanbergite, switzerite, taranakite, tarbuttite, tavorite, threadgoldite, tinsleyite, tinticite, triangulite, triphylite, triplite, triploidite, trolleite, turquoise, uralolite, ushkovite, vanmeerscheite, variscite, varulite, vashegyite, vayrynenite, veszelyite, viitaniemiite, vitusita, vivianite, vochtenite, voggite, vuonnemite, vyacheslavite, wagnerite, wardite, wavellite, whitmoreite, wolfeite, woodhouseite, wooldridgeite, ximengite, zairite, zapatalite, and zodacite, among others. 
     
     
         10 . Use of oxygenated or polyoxygenated weak acids, or minerals or compounds that generate the same in a copper electrodeposition process of  claim 1  COMPRISING a compound that can be, among others, a boron compound. 
     
     
         11 . Use of oxygenated or polyoxygenated weak acids, or minerals or compounds that generate the same in a copper electrodeposition process of  claim 1  COMPRISING a compound that can be, among others, a phosphorus compound. 
     
     
         12 . Use of oxygenated or polyoxygenated weak acids, or minerals or compounds that generate the same in a copper electrodeposition process of  claim 10  COMPRISING a compound that is a boron compound, selected preferably, without limitation, from borax, borates, and boranes, among others. 
     
     
         13 . Use of oxygenated or polyoxygenated weak acids, or minerals or compounds that generate the same in a copper electrodeposition of  claim 11  COMPRISING a compound that is a phosphorous compound, preferably selected, without limitation, from phosphates, phosphonates, phosphoranes, phosphides, sodium hypophosphite, phosphine oxide, phosphorus pentafluoride, phosphorus trichloride, hexafluorophosphoric acid, and phosphorus (III) and (V) oxide, among others. 
     
     
         14 . Use of oxygenated or polyoxygenated weak acids, or minerals or compounds that generate the same in a copper electrodeposition process of  claim 1  COMPRISING improved current consumption efficiency and increased copper recovery from the electrolyte solution. 
     
     
         15 . A copper electrowinning procedure COMPRISING:
 Addition of a necessary quantity of an oxygenated or polyoxygenated weak acid, or a compound or a mineral that generate the same in said copper electrodeposition process   where the necessary quantity of weak acid will depend on the characteristics of the mineral, the electrolyte solution, and the current density used.   
     
     
         16 . A copper electrowinning procedure of  claim 14  COMPRISING the addition of an oxygenated or polyoxygenated weak acid, preferably, to said electrodeposition chamber. 
     
     
         17 . A copper electrowinning procedure of  claim 15  COMPRISING said weak acid, preferably, boric acid or phosphoric acid. 
     
     
         18 . A copper electrowinning procedure of  claim 14  COMPRISING said mineral added to said electrodeposition process. 
     
     
         19 . A copper electrowinning procedure of  claim 17  COMPRISING said mineral, preferably, a boron or phosphorus mineral. 
     
     
         20 . A copper electrowinning procedure of  claim 17  COMPRISING said compound, preferably, a boron or phosphorus compound. 
     
     
         21 . A copper electrowinning procedure of  claim 17  COMPRISING said compound, preferably selected from borax, borates, and boranes, among others. 
     
     
         22 . A copper electrowinning procedure of  claim 17  COMPRISING said compound, preferably selected from borax. 
     
     
         23 . A copper electrowinning procedure of  claim 17  COMPRISING said compound, preferably selected from phosphates, phosphonates, phosphoranes, phosphites, phosphides, sodium hypophosphite, phosphine oxide, phosphorus pentafluoride, phosphorus trichloride, hexafluorophosphoric acid, and phosphorus (III) and (V) oxide, among others. 
     
     
         24 . Use of oxygenated or polyoxygenated weak acids, or minerals or compounds that generate the same in copper electrowinning of  claim 1  COMPRISING said acid having a dissociation constant that varies between 1.80×10 −16  and 55.50.