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Gold Final Slides 7

The document discusses different methods for processing gold ores, including free milling versus complex ores. It then describes the conventional cyanidation process, where sodium cyanide is used to make gold soluble so it can be separated from other minerals. The summary also notes that cyanide is toxic and alternative non-cyanide processes are discussed.

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24 views18 pages

Gold Final Slides 7

The document discusses different methods for processing gold ores, including free milling versus complex ores. It then describes the conventional cyanidation process, where sodium cyanide is used to make gold soluble so it can be separated from other minerals. The summary also notes that cyanide is toxic and alternative non-cyanide processes are discussed.

Uploaded by

jimmycart159
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Processing Gold Ores

CHOICE OF PROCESSING ROUTE

Generally gold ores can be classified as:

1.Free milling

Free milling ores (sized 80% <75 I.) give a gold recovery >90% with a
conventional 20-30 hours cyanidation leach. Sufficient cyanide is added to
leave a concentration of 100-250 ppm at about pH 10, by the end of the
leach.

2. Complex" or "refractory

Ores that do not provide economic gold recovery with conventional


cyanidation are termed refractory.
Gold cyanidation (also known as the cyanide process) is a metallurgical
technique for extracting gold from low-grade ore by converting the gold to a
water-soluble coordination complex. It is the most commonly used process
for gold extraction

4 Au + 8 NaCN + O2 + 2H2O → 4 Na[Au(CN)2] + 4 NaOH


Classification of ore refractoriness
COMPLEX ORES
Oxygen Consuming Complex Ores
Preg-Robbing Ores
Cyanide Gold Extraction

• To collect the gold from the


ore it needs to be separated
from the other minerals in the
ore.

• To do this the gold needs to


be made into a soluble form
so that it can be separated
from the other minerals as
gold is insoluble.

• To make gold soluble sodium


cyanide (NaCN) is added and
the cyanide ion forms a
complex ion with the gold.
This complex ion, [Au(CN)2] is
readily soluble.
Issues of gold extraction using cyanide:

Cyanide is toxic to animal and plant life and may cause death if exposed to
high enough
doses. Free cyanide is cyanide ion (CN) and hydrogen cyanide (HCN)
which is often gaseous as it is volatile. Free cyanide causes cellular
asphyxiation.
1. The ore is ground and crushed to
make a slurry.
2. The treated gold then has sodium
cyanide added to it and the
following reaction:

Au + 2CN → Au(CN)2

In this form the gold is now soluble.

3. Because gold is soluble in this Form


it can now be separated from the
rest of the ore that is in soluble.
This process of dissolving the gold
using cyanide is known as
leaching.

This process of leaching is done in


leaching tanks or by heap leaching
where sodium cyanide is dripped
onto a heap of gold ore and left to
percolate its way through the heap
4. The dissolved gold in the form of the
complex now needs to be separated
out and recovered. This can be done
by a process called absorption.
Absorption is when gaseous or
dissolved species attach to a solid
surface. A substance called activated
carbon is used to absorb the
gold.

5. The majority of the gold will absorb


onto this activated carbon.

6. The activated carbon is then


washed with water or air on screen,
and the gold can be further purified by
electro winning which use electricity.

7. It is then further refined until the


final product is obtained
The remaining cyanide in the slurry now needs to be disposed of
or recycled in some way.
As mentioned above cyanide is toxic and cannot be allowed into the local
environment
.
There are a number of natural processes that get rid of cyanide:

1.Volitisation when CN turns into HCN at low pH’s and then this becomes
gaseous.

2.Absorption when CN naturally absorbs onto solid surfaces, e.g. soil


particles.

3.Microbial degradation some bacteria naturally break down cyanide.


CYANIDE-FREE PROCESS
• Using hypohalides, instead of free halogens, simplifies operation,
safety and recycling of halogens by electrolysis

• Closed circuit approach with full recycling of reactants

• If present, base metals (Cu, Zn) are also recovered


Chlorination Chemistry Involved

• Chlorine, along with a catalytic amount of bromine, is used as


oxidizing agents because of the particularly fast reaction of bromine with
gold.
• The capability of chlorine to oxidize bromides to bromine, explains the low
concentration of bromide required in the brine.
Environmental Advantages

•No Cyanide

•Closed-loop process with recycling of reagents and water, eliminating the


need for ponds and the risks of containment collapse

•No liquid or gaseous effluents

•Solid residues are sulphur and base metal depleted, not acid generating
and easily meet environmental regulation

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