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JM-ore Proces Gold PDF
JM-ore Proces Gold PDF
Heinen, Harold J
Processing gold ores using heap leachsarbon adsorption
methods / by H. J. Heinen, D. G. Peterson, and R. E.
Lindstrom. [Washington] : U.S. Dept. of the Interior. Bureau
of Mines, 1978.
21 p. : ill. ; 27 cm.
8770)
(Information circular
Bureau of Mines ;
Bibliography: p. 19-21.
1. Gold
Merallurgy. 2. Cyanide process. 3. Gold ores. I.
Peterson, David G., joinr author. 11. Lindstrom, Roald E., joinr
author. 111. United Srates. Bureau of Mines. 1%
.'
Title. V. Series: Unired States. Bureau of Mines. Informarion circular Bureau of Mines ; 8770.
TN23.U71
no. 8770
622.06173
CONTENTS
................................................................
............................................................
Abstract
Introduction
Chemistry of c y a n i d a t i o n .................................................
Mineralogy of gold o r e s ..................................................
Amenability t e s t i n g ......................................................
Cyanide heap-leach o p e r a t i o n s ............................................
G o l d - s i l v e r recovery from p r o c e s s s o l u t i o n s .........................
Economics of heap-leach o p e r a t i o n s ..................................
Cyanide handling and d i s p o s a l
Recent i n n o v a t i o n s i n g o l d - s i l v e r r e c o v e r y from cyanide p r o c e s s s o l u t i o n s
Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
References ...............................................................
............................................
ILLUSTRATIONS
Laboratory column l e a c h i n g u n i t ......................................
P i l o t - s c a l e heap leach ...............................................
Heap-leach c y a n i d a t i o n
Leaching o r e heaps by t h e pending method .............................
H y p o t h e t i c a l d i s t r i b u t i o n of gold i n a continuous carbonadsorption operation ...............................................
Recovery of gold from a c t i v a t e d carbon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Proposed t r e a t m e n t of cyanide e f f l u e n t s high i n s i l v e r c o n t e n t . . . . . . .
Proposed heap leach-carbon a d s o r p t i o n process f o r gold o r e s low
i n silver ..........................................................
...............................................
TABLE
Estimated c o s t of a commercial heap-leach c y a n i d a t i o n o p e r a t i o n
ABSTRACT
This Bureau of Mines r e p o r t reviews t h e r e c e n t developments i n t h e heap
l e a c h i n g of gold o r e s w i t h d i l u t e cyanide s o l u t i o n s and t h e recovery of gold
and a s s o c i a t e d s i l v e r from t h e pregnant e f f l u e n t s by a carbon a d s o r p t i o n d e s o r p t i o n method. M i n e r a l o g i c a l c o n s i d e r a t i o n s , e x p e r i m e n t a l work, f i e l d
s t u d i e s , and commercial o p e r a t i o n s a r e d e s c r i b e d . Also p r e s e n t e d a r e r e c e n t
process advances developed by t h e Bureau, i n c l u d i n g t h e a p p l i c a t i o n of
(1) a l c o h o l a d d i t i v e s t o t h e c o n v e n t i o n a l h o t a l k a l i n e cyanide s t r i p s o l u t i o n
t o enhance gold d e s o r p t i o n from precious metal-laden a c t i v a t e d carbon, and
( 2 ) Na,S p r e c i p i t a t i o n of t h e s i l v e r from g o l d - s i l v e r cyanide s o l u t i o n s a s a
means of reducing t h e i n v e n t o r y of carbon r e q u i r e d f o r p r e c i o u s - m e t a l a d s o r p t i o n from heap l e a c h e f f l u e n t s and f o r t h e p r o d u c t i o n of l o w - s i l v e r b u l l i o n
from a c t i v a t e d carbon s t r i p p i n g s o l u t i o n s .
INTRODUCTION
Gold m i n e r a l i z a t i o n i s widespread i n t h e United S t a t e s . I n 1967 t h e
Bureau of Mines conducted a n engineering a p p r a i s a l of more t h a n 1,300 lode and
p l a c e r d e p o s i t s , r e p r e s e n t i n g a l m o s t a l l o f t h e N a t i o n ' s known gold r e s e r v e s , t o
determine t h e i r gold product p o t e n t i a l ,(28).3 These d e p o s i t s were estimated
t o c o n t a i n over 400 m i l l i o n ounces of g o l d ; however, only 2 pct of t h i s amount
was found t o be e x p l o i t a b l e a t $35 p e r ounce. A 400-pct i n c r e a s e i n t h e p r i c e
of gold w i t h i n a period of 1 o r 2 y e a r s caused a remarkable r e e v a l u a t i o n of
t h e type of m a t e r i a l t h a t c o n s t i t u t e s o r e . Low-grade m a t e r i a l s c o n t a i n i n g a s
l i t t l e a s 0.03 ounce of gold p e r ton, providing s u f f i c i e n t tonnage i s a v a i l a b l e , a r e now being f i e l d t e s t e d f o r precious-metal r e c o v e r y . The Bureau of
Mines and s e v e r a l mining companies have conducted e x t e n s i v e h y d r o m e t a l l u r g i c a l
s t u d i e s t o e x p l o i t low-grade o r e s and mine waste m a t e r i a l . The innovations
developed i n c l u d e heap-leach c y a n i d a t i o n followed by precious-metal r e c o v e r y
lMetallurgist.
" ~ u ~ e r v i s ochemical
r~
engineer.
Authors a r e with t h e Reno Metallurgy Research Center, Bureau of Mines, Reno,
Nev
3 ~ n d e r l i n e dnumbers i n parentheses r e f e r t o items i n t h e l i s t of r e f e r e n c e s a t
t h e end of t h i s r e p o r t .
(1,
NaCN
CO,
H20
HCN
NaHCO,.
(4
(1,
I:
by z i n c may be r e p r e s e n t e d by t h e f o l l o w i n g e q u a t i o n :
Na2Zn(CN),
Au
1/2H,
+ NaOH.
(5)
Pump
Barren cyanide
solution
FIGURE 1. - Laboratory colunin leaching u n i t .
FIGURE 2.
A l l commercial cyanide heap-leach o p e r a t i o n s a r e being conducted on mater i a l stacked on impermeable pads. W a t e r t i g h t pads o r bases a r e r e q u i r e d t o
c o l l e c t t h e pregnant s o l u t i o n s and t o e l i m i n a t e t h e p o s s i b i l i t y of l o s i n g gold
and s i l v e r cyanide s o l u t i o n s t o t h e ground and contaminating l o c a l streams and
underground water r e s o u r c e s . The types o f m a t e r i a l s used f o r c o n s t r u c t i n g t h e
impervious pads i n c l u d e (1) compacted t a i l i n g s mixed w i t h b e n t o n i t e ,
(2) a s p h a l t ( b l a c k t o p ) o r l i g n i n s u l f o n a t e mix placed on compacted g r a v e l and
covered w i t h a n a s p h a l t s e a l e r , ( 3 ) r e i n f o r c e d c o n c r e t e p a d s , and (4) p l a s t i c
or rubber s h e e t i n g l a i d on a smooth excavated a r e a and covered w i t h 2 t o 3
f e e t of washed sand and g r a v e l .
B a s i c a l l y , two methods of heap-leach c y a n i d a t i o n a r e used commercially:
(1) s h o r t - t e r m l e a c h i n g of crushed o r e , and ( 2 ) long-term l e a c h i n g of r u n - o f mine m a t e r i a l .
\
I n p r a c t i c i n g s h o r t - t e r m , heap-leach c y a n i d a t i o n , t h e o r e i s crushed t o a
small s i z e , s t a c k e d 4 t o 8 f e e t high on permanent pads, each w i t h a c a p a c i t y
ranging from 1,000 t o 10,000 t o n s , and leached by s p r i n k l i n g t h e top of t h e
heap w i t h d i l u t e cyanide s o l u t i o n ( f i g . 3 ) . Cyanide s o l u t i o n p e r c o l a t e s
through t h e heap d i s s o l v i n g t h e gold and s i l v e r v a l u e s .
I t i s subsequently
c o l l e c t e d on t h e w a t e r t i g h t pad, which i s sloped t o permit t h e pregnant s o l u t i o n t o flow i n t o channels f o r t r a n s f e r t o a s t o r a g e pond o r tank. The feed
m a t e r i a l i s crushed t o a s i z e t h a t w i l l g i v e good l i b e r a t i o n o r exposure of
the gold m i n e r a l i z a t i o n t o cyanide s o l u t i o n and s t i l l o b t a i n r e a s o n a b l e percolation rates.
I n t y p i c a l o p e r a t i o n s , o r e s a r e crushed t o minus t h r e e - f o u r t h s
inch, and a s f i n e a s minus one-fourth i n c h i n t h e c a s e of a gold-quartz o r e .
The leach c y c l e i s measured i n days, g e n e r a l l y from 7 t o 30. When t h e leach
cycle i s completed, t h e waste i s removed from t h e pad and a new b a t c h of
crushed o r e i s a p p l i e d . The C a r l i n Gold Mining Co. (21) s t a r t e d t h i s t y p e of
leaching on mine c u t o f f m a t e r i a l crushed t o t h r e e - f o u r t h s inch i n 1971. The
Smoky Valley Mining Co. has completed t h e i n s t a l l a t i o n of a 8,000-tonlday
short-term heap leach-carbon a d s o r p t i o n - e l e c t r o w i n n i n g f a c i l i t y a t Round
29).
Mountain t h a t went on-stream December 1976 ( Long-term l e a c h i n g i s used p r i m a r i l y t o e x t r a c t gold from uncrushed,
porous, sub-mill-grade m a t e r i a l from open p i t o p e r a t i o n s . The o r e charges
a r e run-of-mine m a t e r i a l generated by b l a s t i n g , and may c o n t a i n some l a r g e
Barren
cyanide
solution
Pregnant
cyanide
effluent
FIGURE 3.
- Heap-leach cyanidation.
e x h i b i t s slow p e r c o l a t i o n
c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s . one hundred and s i x t y thousand t o n s
of o r e was stacked about 25
f e e t h i g h and l e v e l e d ; t h e
f l a t s u r f a c e of t h e p i l e was
d i v i d e d by s m a l l d i k e s i n t o
n i n e ponds t o f a c i l i t a t e
c o n t r o l of l e a c h i n g s o l u t i o n s . The heap was washed
w i t h b a r r e n s o l u t i o n s from
t h e carbon a d s o r p t i o n p l a n t .
Barren
cyanide
solution
Impervious pad
Pregnant
cyanide
effluent
Based on t h e a v a i l a b i l i t y of e x i s t i n g c o n v e n t i o n a l
cvanide m i l l f a c i l i t i e s w i t h
a z i n c p r e c i p i t a t i o n c i r c u i t , t h e gold and s i l v e r contained i n heap-leach
pregnant s o l u t i o n s may be recovered from s o l u t i o n s by c o n v e n t i o n a l M e r r i l l Crowe p r e c i p i t a t i o n . I f m i l l f a c i l i t i e s a r e n o t a v a i l a b l e o r i f t h e concent r a t i o n of gold i n s o l u t i o n i s below a nominal 0.05-0z/t0n s o l u t i o n , t h e
p r e f e r r e d method f o r r e c o v e r i n g t h e p r e c i o u s metal v a l u e s from heap-leach
e f f l u e n t s i s by a d s o r p t i o n on a c t i v a t e d carbon. Not only i s t h e carbon
a d s o r p t i o n process more e f f i c i e n t t h a n z i n c p r e c i p i t a t i o n f o r t r e a t i n g d i l u t e
g o l d - s i l v e r cyanide s o l u t i o n s , b u t t h e method a l s o e n t a i l s lower c a p i t a l and
operating c o s t s (5-5,24).
FIGURE 4.
dore' b u l l i o n by s m e l t i n g t h e
ashed r e s i d u e . T y p i c a l
s m e l t e r charges i n c l u d i n g
t h e nonpayment f o r 7 . 5 p c t
o f t h e t o t a l gold c o n t e n t
Barren
w i l l average about $3,500
Solution
p e r d r y t o n of carbon cont a i n i n g 300 ounces o f gold
per t o n . A d d i t i o n a l c o s t s
t o be considered a r e t h e
Pregnant solution
purchase
p r i c e of t h e a c t i 0.10 oz/fonPu
NoCN
CaO
v a t e d carbon and haulage
c h a r g e s . Thus, a r e a s o n a b l e
c o s t f i g u r e f o r processing
a t o n of loaded carbon by
t h e s m e l t i n g technique i s
u
$5,500 t o $7,000. I n t h e
Solution storage
p r e f e r r e d method, gold
ond makeup tank
recovery from a c t i v a t e d c a r FIGURE 5. Hypothetical
distribution of gold in a con.
bon i s a c c o m ~ l i s h e dbv
~.
desorbing t h e gold anb s i l tinuous carbon-adsorption operation.
v e r v a l u e s from t h e carbon
and e l e c t r o w i n n i n g t h e v a l u e s from t h e r e s u l t a n t s t r i p s o l u t i o n s . This p e r m i t s repeated r e u s e o f t h e carbon, which g r e a t l y enhances t h e economics of t h e
carbon c y a n i d a t i o n p r o c e s s . The f i r s t p r a c t i c a l d e s o r p t i o n process was d e v e l oped by t h e Bureau o f Mines i n 1952 (26
-3
3 1 ) . The process (commonly r e f e r r e d
t o a s t h e Zadra p r o c e s s ) employs a 1 . 0 p c t NaOH-0.1 p c t NaCN s t r i p s o l u t i o n a t
93" C and a t atmospheric p r e s s u r e t o desorb t h e gold and s i l v e r from t h e c a r bon. The g o l d - s i l v e r d e s o r p t i o n s t e p , which i s dependent upon t h e c o n c e n t r a t i o n of a l k a l i (NaOH) and t h e temperature o f t h e s t r i p s o l u t i o n , i s g r e a t l y
enhanced by t h e a d d i t i o n of a n a l c o h o l such a s e t h a n o l o r methanol t o t h e
d e s o r b e n t o r s t r i p p i n g s o l u t i o n . The p r e c i o u s metal v a l u e s contained i n t h e
s t r i p s o l u t i o n a r e electrowon from t h e s o l u t i o n , and t h e b a r r e n s o l u t i o n
r e c y c l e d f o r a d d i r i o n a l s t r i p p i n g . Current i n d u s t r i a l a p p l i c a t i o n of t h e
- - i n d i c a t e s t h a t 50 t o 100 hours a r e r e q u i r e d
Zadra d e s o r p t i o n process (10-11)
t o s t r i p t h e carbon from a loading of 300 ounces of gold t o l e s s t h a n 5 ounces
o f gold per t o n of carbon. The Bureau a t t h e S a l t Lake C i t y Metallurgy
Research Center developed a p r e s s u r e s t r i p p i n g method t h a t g r e a t l y reduces
s t r i p p i n g time and r e a g e n t consumption (3,25).
00002 oz Au
per
TABLE 1.
1 Cost
C o n s t r u c t i o n of pad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I
Stacking o r e on pad ...............
Heap leaching . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Carbon d e s o r p t i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Carbon r e g e n e r a t i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
r o t a 1. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
per t o n
of o r e
$0.50
I
.02
1.14
r e a c t i o n mechanism i s b e l i e v e d t o be a s follows:
NaCN
2NaOH
C1,
-. NaCNO
2NaC1
+ H,O,
(6)
le
"
FIGURE 6.
Gold recovery
I
precipitotion
Retention
.....
Corbon
adsorption
Loaded
carbon
I
Corbon
stripping
IL,
u
Filtration
Silver product
Gold product
wren
solution
FIGURE 7.
Corbon columns
l Loaded
Stripped carbon
L---------------------
mrbon
II
17
s i l v e r - f r e e f i l t r a t e can
t h e n be e l e c t r o l y z e d t o win
t h e gold by d e p o s i t i o n on
s t e e l wool cathodes. Barren
e l e c t r o l y t e recycled t o t h e
d e s o r p t i o n u n i t can be used
t o desorb more v a l u e s from
t h e carbon. F i n a l l y , t h e
gold-laden s t e e l wool c a t h odes when mixed w i t h proper
f l u x e s c a n be r e f i n e d i n t o
gold b u l l i o n low i n s i l v e r .
Figure 8 shows a conceptual
flow diagram d e p i c t i n g t h e
heap leach-carbon a d s o r p t i o n d e s o r p t i o n system and t h e
precious m e t a l s s e p a r a t i o n
and recovery c y c l e .
Desorplion
unit
Strip
roluliOn
tank
SUMMARY
The r i s i n g free-market
gold p r i c e has given a new
.
Au cyonida solution
l e a s e on l i f e t o t h e gold
-+-+-...-+
mining
i n d u s t r y . The heap
Filtration
IH
y
leach c y a n i d a t i o n - c a r b o n
E 1 e c l r o l ~ t i c Recycled r l r i p
soIution
adsorption-electrowinning
SilvFr product
Gold product
process developed by t h e
F e d e r a l Bureau of Mines has
FIGURE 8. Proposed heap leach-carbon adsorption
?roved t o b e a n economical
process for gold ores low in silver.
method f o r e x p l o i t i n g lowgrade gold o r e s and s m a l l i s o l a t e d d e p o s i t s n o t s u i t a b l e f o r t r e a t m e n t by conv e n t i o n a l c y a n i d a t i o n procedures. Heap l e a c h i n g may be t h e most p r o f i t a b l e
method f o r p r o c e s s i n g s e l e c t e d gold and s i l v e r o r e s t h a t do not r e q u i r e f i n e
g r i n d i n g and a r e r e a d i l y amenable t o c y a n i d a t i o n .
precipitation
Digestion
-%
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%.
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-.
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