A method for recovering indium, silver, gold and other rare, precious and base metals from complex oxide and sulfide ores

摘要

The present invention relates to methods for recovering precious metals including silver and gold, rare metals including indium and gallium, base metals including copper, lead and zinc or a combination of precious, rare and base metals from complex oxide ores, sulfide ores or oxide and sulfide ores using an acid chloride oxidizing leach. The process comprises contacting the ore with an acid, a chloride salt and a soluble oxidant under a selected condition to form an ore waste and an acid-soluble oxidant leach solution comprising the metals; and separating the acid-soluble oxidant leach solution from the ore waste.