Glencore Technology Files Patent for Zinc Leach Residue Treatment

Australia-based Glencore Technology has filed a patent application for a novel method to treat zinc leach residue. The inventors behind this innovative process are Alistair Stewart Burrows, Leonid Ushkov, and Turarbek Anarbekovich Azekenov.The patent application, numbered 202417006110 A, was filed on January 30, 2024. The international classification numbers associated with this patent are B09B 101/55, B09B 3/40, C22B 15/00, C22B 19/04, and C22B 19/30.

According to the abstract published by the Controller General of Patents, Designs & Trade Marks, the invention involves a method for treating zinc leach residue. The process includes adding the zinc leach residue along with a sulfide material containing copper and flux to a furnace with a molten bath. The furnace is operated to produce a copper-containing matte and a zinc-containing slag. The matte is then separated from the slag, and zinc is recovered from the slag. Additionally, the method allows for the recovery of copper and other precious metals such as silver and gold from the matte.

The patent was published in Issue No. 6/2024 of the Patent Office Journal on February 9, 2024.