Raymond Frederick Dalton

Acorga Clx50 - a Pyridine Carboxylic Ester Based Extractant for the Solvent Extraction of Copper from Chloride Leach Solutions

ABSTRACT The past two decades have seen great interest in the development of chloride based hydrometallurgical process for the recovery of metals from sulphide ores. Until recently however, utilisation of chloride processes for the production of copper has been inhibited by their inability to produce pure copper directly without the need for further refining. The reagent Acorga CLX50 has been developed specifically to overcome this problem by enabling the solvent extraction of copper from chloride leach solutions without the need for pH adjustment and with very high selectivity over other metals and metalloids. Extraction of copper is favoured by a high chloride ion concentration and stripping is effected by contacting with hot water. The utility of the reagent has now been demonstrated by its use in a successful long term pilot plant operation of The CUPREX Metal Extraction Process, a new chloride based process for the recovery of copper from sulphide ores.