The

Extractive
Metallurgy
of Gold
 The
Extractive
Metallurgy
of Gold

J. c. Yannopoulos

tmiii1 VAN NOSTRAND REINHOLD

~ _ _ _ New York
To my wife and sons

Copyright © 1991 by Van Nostrand Reinhold

Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 1991
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 90-12439
ISBN 978-1-4684-8427-4 ISBN 978-1-4684-8425-0 (eBook)
DOl 10.1007/978-1-4684-8425-0
All rights reserved. No part of this work covered by the copyright hereon may be reproduced
or used in any form by any means-graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including
photocopying, recording, taping, or information storage and retrieval systems-without
written permission of the publisher.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Yannopoulos, J. C. (John C.)

The extractive metallurgy of gold I J. C. Yannopoulos.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-4684-8427-4
1. Gold-Metallurgy. 2. Gold ores. 1. Title.
TN760.Y36 1990
669'.22-dc20 90-12439
CIP
 Contents

Preface ix

Chapter 1 Gold Ores 1

Geochemistry of Gold and Auriferous Deposits 1
Auriferous Deposits 4
Effects of Biological Systems on Metallic Gold 7
Gold in Sea Water 8
Exploration for Gold 8

Chapter 2 Physical and Chemical Properties of Gold 11

Physical Properties of Gold 11
Chemical Properties of Gold 12
Gold Assaying 21

Chapter 3 Treatment of Placer Deposits 25,

Placer Environment and Formation 25
Dredging or Hydraulic Mining 31
Gold Recovery from Placer Deposits 38
Gravity Concentration of Alluvial Gold 41

Chapter 4 Milling of Amenable Gold Ores 55

Comminution of the Ore 55
Partial Direct Recovery of Gold 63
Leaching of Pulverized Gold Ores 67
Gold Milling Flow Sheets 68
Recovery of Gold from Solution 70

Chapter 5 Treatment of Refractory Gold Ores 79

Mineralogy of Refractory Gold Ores 79
Flotation of Some Refractory Ores 86

v
vi CONTENTS

High-Temperature Oxidation: Roasting 87

High-Pressure Oxidation 98
Biological Oxidation 105
Chemical Oxidation 107
Silica-Locked Gold 110

Chapter 6 Leaching Low-Grade Gold Ores 115

Ore Testing 116
Heap Leaching and Dump Leaching 120
Vat Leaching 133

Chapter 7 Recovery of Secondary Gold 137

Base Metals Present in Gold Scrap 137
Special Cases of Gold Scrap 138

Chapter 8 Cyanidation of Gold Ores 141

Theories on Gold Cyanidation 143
The Mechanism of Cyanidation 145
The Kinetics of Gold Cyanidation 158
Cyanide Regeneration 165
Destruction of Cyanide 168

Chapter 9 Alternative Leaching Reagents for Gold 171

Thiourea Leaching of Gold 171
Thiosulfate Leaching of Gold 180
Leaching with Halogens and Halides 182

Chapter 10 Recovery of Gold from Solutions 185

Zinc Cementation 186
Activated Carbon Adsorption 193
Electrowinning of Gold from Cyanide Solutions 206
Electrowinning of Gold from Pregnant Gold-Mill
Solutions 209
Staged Heap Leaching and Direct Electrowinning 214
Industrial Uses of Activated Carbon 216
Ion-Exchange Resins 230
Solvent Extraction 235
Metal Chelating Agents 235
 CONTENTS vii

Chapter 11 Melting and Refining of Gold 241

The Wohlwill Electrorefining Process 243
Gold Refining by Dissolution/Precipitation 243

Chapter 12 Gold Mill Tailings 245

Disposal of Tailings 245
Water/Cyanide Recovery from Tailings Slurries 246
Destruction of Cyanide in Gold-Mill Effluents 248
Arsenic Removal from Gold-Mine Wastes 253
Recovery of Gold from Accumulated Old Tailings 253

Appendix A: Conversion Factors 257

Appendix B: Gold Production Statistics 259
Appendix C: Comparative Long-Term Total
Production Costs in Selected
Countries 261
Appendix D: Primary Gold Deposits and Mines
in the U.S. 262
Appendix E: Gold Mill Sampling and
Metallurgical Balance 264
Appendix F: Data Commonly Collected During
Environmental Baseline Studies for
an Environmental Assessment 269
Appendix G: Flowchart of Gold Recovery from
Copper Refinery Slimes 271
Appendix H: Solubility of Minerals and Metals in
Cyanide Solutions 272

Index 273
 Preface

The history of gold begins in antiquity. Bits of gold were found in

Spanish caves that were used by Paleolithic people around 40,000 B.C.
Gold is the "child of Zeus," wrote the Greek poet Pindar. The Romans
called the yellow metal aurum ("shining dawn"). Gold is the first element
and first metal mentioned in the Bible, where it appears in more than 400
references.
This book provides the most thorough and up-to-date information
available on the extraction of gold from its ores, starting with the miner-
alogy of gold ores and ending with details of refining. Each chapter con-
cludes with a list of references including full publication information for all
works cited. Sources preceded by an asterisk (*) are especially recom-
mended for more in-depth study.
Nine appendices, helpful to both students and operators, complement
the text. I have made every attempt to keep abreast of recent technical
literature on the extraction of gold. Original publications through the
spring of 1989 have been reviewed and cited where appropriate.
This book is intended as a reference for operators, managers, and
designers of gold mills and for professional prospectors. It is also designed
as a textbook for extractive metallurgy courses.
I am indebted to the Library of Engineering Societies in New York,
which was the main source of the references in the book. The assistance of
my son, Panos, in typing the manuscript is gratefully acknowledged.

ix
 The
Extractive
Metallurgy
of Gold