History
Henkel & Cognis: A History of Excellence
The beginnings of LIX® Reagent Technology emerged following the successful practice of commercial solvent extraction techniques for uranium around the middle of the 20th century. The highlights of the industry development are as follows:
1956: There are 13 uranium mills in the United States. Four mills are using solvent extraction, but none with a tertiary amine as an extractant. The Chemicals Division of General Mills Inc. is producing primary and secondary amines, which are used in non-metallic flotation. General Mills begins marketing and fundamental research to investigate the commercial and technical feasability of entering a new and undeveloped market in the mineral and metal recovery business. This investigation leads to the successful introduction of a tertiary amine, Alamine® 336, for the recovery of uranium by solvent extraction.
1958: The Eldorado Mining and Refining Company places the first order for 60,000 pounds of General Mills Chemicals' Alamine® 336. Kerr-McGee in Grants, New Mexico follows as the next uranium producer. Kerr McGee is the largest uranium producer in the USA at the time.
1959: There are 6 commercial plants using Alamine® 336. General Mills introduces a new quaternary amine, Aliquat® 336.
1960-61: The success of Alamine® 336 encourages General Mills to begin market studies to determine if the copper industry is receptive to solvent extraction technology, and what technical parameters such an extractant would have to meet. Two companies show interest: Bagdad Copper Company and the Silver Bell Unit of ASARCO, both in Arizona.
1962: The first functional molecule to form a water insoluble organic-copper complex is discovered. Scientists at the Colorado School of Mines Research Foundation test the new oxime type extractant. Testing of this reagent, LIX® 63, continues through 1963 and 1964.
1965: Bagdad Copper Company begins pilot plant testing of the second generation copper extractant, LIX® 64. Duval Corporation follows by pilot plant testing at its Sierrita Mine south of Tucson, Arizona.
1968: The Bluebird Mine of Ranchers Exploration and Development Corporation commissions the first commercial copper solvent extraction plant. The extractant used was General Mills' LIX® 64.
1970: Bagdad Copper commissions the first LIX® 64N circuit for copper recovery from dump leaching oxide copper at a production rate of 30,000 pounds of cathode copper per day.
1973: The Chingola Division of Nchanga Consolidated Copper Mines in Zambia, southern Africa becomes the largest, SX-EW plant commissioned. The design capacity of the plant is 60,000 tonnes of cathode copper per year.
1974: The LIX® Reagent business grows to significant levels and demands more LIX® Reagent in the copper mining industry. To meet these demands, General Mills Chemicals, Inc. constructs and commissions a large LIX® Reagent production plant in the Republic of Ireland, just west of Cork City.
1975: The first "semi-portable" copper SX plant is built at Johnson Camp, Arizona. (Several years later, the SX circuit is dismantled and reassembled at Cyprus' Sierrita Mine.)
1977: The German company, Henkel KGaA of Duesseldorf, purchases General Mills Chemicals, Inc. from General Mills Inc. The LIX® Reagent technology becomes a part of Henkel.
1980: Henkel introduces its first copper extraction reagents based on aldoximes, known as the LIX® 600 Series.
1982: Henkel introduces the LIX® 860 Series of extractants based on mixtures of aldoxime and ketoxime reagents. This avoids the use of modifiers.
1994: Henkel introduces its most successful reagent line, the LIX® 900 Series.
1999: Henkel expands the business even further worldwide, providing the greatest number of chemicals for metals recovery in the industry. Henkel remains the world leader in commercial solvent extraction technology.
February 1999: The Chemicals Group of Henkel KGaA announces a new independent company Cognis. Under Cognis management, the Mining Chemicals Technology Division continues its leadership position in the metals recovery business. Cognis introduces its LIX® 79 solvent extraction reagent for silver and gold. Through this effort Cognis enters a new technology with the introduction of the AuRIX® 100 ion exchange resin for gold and silver recovery. Both of these extractants have been highly successful in plant trials.