The Great Dyke, Zimbabwe, contains over 800 million ounces of platinum and approximately 20 million ounces of rhodium. However, about 10% of the ore is oxidized and cannot be processed with current recovery methods. A conventional flotation-smelting process has been proposed to recover the platinum group metal (PGM) values from the sulfide ores. With the development of a low temperature roasting, acidic bromine leaching process by The Minerals Laboratory of BHP Minerals, substantial PGM recoveries from oxide and mixed oxide/sulfide ores are now possible. This patented TML Process for platiniferous oxide ores will yield recoveries of 95% for gold, 85% for platinum and over 65% for rhodium values.
Keywords
- Bromide Leaching
- Platinum
- Gold
- Rhodium
- PGM’s
- Oxide Ores