Freeport-McMoRan. has been granted a patent for a cyclic process to recover metal values from metal-bearing materials. The method involves agglomeration, leaching, re-oxidization, and recycling of solutions, utilizing citric acid and oxidants to enhance metal recovery efficiency. GlobalData’s report on Freeport-McMoRan gives a 360-degree view of the company including its patenting strategy. Buy the report here.
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According to GlobalData’s company profile on Freeport-McMoRan, Extraction by leaching was a key innovation area identified from patents. Freeport-McMoRan's grant share as of June 2024 was 66%. Grant share is based on the ratio of number of grants to total number of patents.
Cyclic process for metal recovery from metal-bearing materials
The patent US12018349B2 outlines a cyclic process for extracting metal values from metal-bearing materials, particularly focusing on copper sulfides. The process begins with leaching the material using a solution that includes raffinate, sulfuric acid, an oxidant (potentially hydrogen peroxide), and citric acid or its salts. This leaching produces a leached material containing both ferrous (Fe2+) and ferric (Fe3+) ions, along with a pregnant leach solution. The leached material is then cured with a solution that re-oxidizes the ferrous ions to ferric ions, allowing for the recycling of these ferric ions back into the leaching step. The process emphasizes the recycling of raffinate and the pregnant leach solution, enhancing efficiency and sustainability.
Additionally, the patent describes various enhancements to the leaching process, including the potential for heap leaching operations, where the leaching solution can be injected into the heap. The process also allows for the agglomeration of metal-bearing materials with an agglomerating solution prior to leaching, which can improve the efficiency of the extraction. The recovery of metal values from the pregnant leach solution can be achieved through methods such as solvent extraction/electrowinning (SX/EW) or direct electrowinning (DEW). The claims further specify that the leaching process can be cyclically repeated, and the use of air or oxygen injection into the leaching solution is also mentioned, which may enhance the leaching efficiency. Overall, the patent presents a comprehensive method for metal recovery that incorporates recycling and multiple operational enhancements.
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GlobalData Patent Analytics tracks bibliographic data, legal events data, point in time patent ownerships, and backward and forward citations from global patenting offices. Textual analysis and official patent classifications are used to group patents into key thematic areas and link them to specific companies across the world’s largest industries.
