Vaal University of Technology

Faculty of Engineering and Technology

Department of Chemical and Metallurgical Engineering

APPLICATION OF SCIENTIFIC AND ENGINEERING

KNOWLEDGE IN HYDROMETALLURGICAL PROCESSING OF
GOLD

Compiled by: TE MAAMOE 219056528

Compiled for: O. Oluokun
Date: 08 July 2021
Subject code: EYHYD3A
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Application of scientific and engineering knowledge in hydrometallurgical

processing of gold
Scientific knowledge is the body of knowledge that explores the physical and natural
world through scientific processes which involves collecting data and experimenting. It
is based on observation and analysis of the world around us based on plausible axioms
that have been time tested. It can be more objective and often tested and replicated for
many of the physical sciences.
Engineering knowledge is a field of artificial intelligence (AI) that creates rules in
application of scientific knowledge in order to design, build and maintain a product or
process that solves a problem and fulfil a need. It is the technology behind the creation
of expects system to assist with issues related to their programmed field of knowledge.
It looks at the structure of a task or a decision to identify how a conclusion is reached.

List of specific scientific knowledge areas in hydrometallurgical processing of

gold
Gold leach solution contains ppm proportions of the gold ions.
Gold ion will adsorb to the activated carbon preferentially compared to the organic
matter when experimentally done.
One ton of activated carbon adsorbs about 10 kg gold.
About 1 kg carbon is used to treat about 4 litres of solution when experimentally done.
Desorption of gold from activated charcoal takes about 50 hours.

List of specific engineering knowledge areas in hydrometallurgical processing of

gold
Solvent concentration and purification: After leaching, the leach liquor must normally
undergo concentration of the metal ions that are to be recovered. Additionally,
undesirable metal ions sometimes require removal.
Solvent extraction:
In the solvent extraction is a mixture of an extractant in a diluent is used to extract a
metal from one phase to another. In solvent extraction this mixture is often referred to
as the "organic" because the main constituent (diluent) is some type of oil.

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The PLS (pregnant leach solution) is mixed to emulsification with the stripped organic
and allowed to separate. The metal will be exchanged from the PLS to the organic they
are modified. The resulting streams will be a loaded organic and a raffinate. When
dealing with electrowinning, the loaded organic is then mixed to emulsification with a
lean electrolyte and allowed to separate. The metal will be exchanged from the organic
to the electrolyte. The resulting streams will be a stripped organic and a rich electrolyte.
The organic stream is recycled through the solvent extraction process while the
aqueous streams cycle through leaching and electrowinning processes respectively.
Ion exchange: Chelating agents, natural zeolite, activated carbon, resins, and liquid
organics impregnated with chelating agents are all used to exchange cations or anions
with the solution. Selectivity and recovery are a function of the reagents used and the
contaminants present.
This are some innovative methods for recovery of gold:
1) Ion Exchange Process for Recovery of Gold from Cyanide Solution
2) New developments in ion exchange resins for the recovery of Gold in complex ores
3) Recovery of gold with ion exchange resin from leaching solution by acidothioureation
Electrolysis: Electrowinning and electrorefining respectively involve the recovery and
purification of metals using electrodeposition of metals at the cathode, and either metal
dissolution or a competing oxidation reaction at the anode
The carbon-in-pulp (CIP) process is the most widely used method for the recovery of
gold in new plants, this shown in Figure 1.1.
This trace quantity is concentrated via adsorption on activated charcoal.
Desorption of gold is typically carried out using 0.2 % sodium cyanide and 1 % sodium
hydroxide at 90 °C because its 100% non-toxic and environmentally-friendly and
economical

Reduction of weakly electropositive metal ions: L-charcoal suffice to achieve reduction

of Au (III), Ag (I) and Hg (II). The reaction below applies for Au (III) reduction:
C + 2H2O ===> CO2 + 4H+ + 4e-
Au3+ + 3e– ===> Au°

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Leaching and adsorption carried out at the same stage. The granular activated carbon
added during the leaching process, so that the gold is adsorbed on the carbon
immediately they are leached.

Figure 1.1 Overview of the typical CIP plant

Explain why

A. Researchers are making efforts to replace gold cyanide leaching?

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Cyanide is highly toxic and can result in substantial environmental impacts and public
health risks (it disrupt the process of cellular respiration) if released into the
environment.

Figure 1.2 Schematic representation of the impact of cyanides on the human body

Cyanides contaminate water through discharges of mine wastes and can be washed
down from tailing. Cyanide spills have resulted in major fish kills, contaminated drinking
water supplies and harmed agricultural lands.

Figure 1.3 Processes of cyanide transformations occurring in water and soil

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Figure 1.4 Toxicity of cyanide forms

B. Gold-cyanide is still largely used by many industries?

Great effectiveness for gold dissolution

Cyanide leaching is very efficient; it allows profitable mining of much lower ore grades.

4Au + 8NaCN + 02 + 2H20 = 4Na[Au(CN)2] + 4NaOH

Chemical reaction for dissociation of gold

High selectivity for gold and silver over other minerals

Mining lower grade ore requires the extraction and processing of much more ore to get
the same amount of gold. Partially due to cyanide, modern mines are

 much larger than before cyanide was used;

 create vast open pits; and

 produce huge quantities of waste.

Relatively low cost

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Cylindrical columns or rectangular tanks are often used for hydrometallurgical

operations, explain the rational for both set up. Identify which is often applicable
during gold adsorption and elution stages.

Cylindrical columns are often applicable during elution stages. In the column leaching
process, the solid particles are carefully disposed inside a cylindrical column and on the
top a leaching solution is trickled to gradually percolate the solid bed to the bottom
where the pregnant solution is directed to the recovery step. Elution is the process of
removal of adsorbed ions from the resin, using a clean liquid phase called the eluent.
Absorption column consist of vertical chambers separated by orifice plates, each
chamber containing an amount of resin.

The leach liquor/solution enter from the bottom and flow slowly up the column
contacting the resin in the chamber while IX takes place and the effluent should flow out
of at the top as barren solution. The effluent (the barren solution) is continuously tested
until it is found to containing ion supposed to be exchanged with the resin. This is ion
breakthrough, which indicate the resins are fully equilibrated with the liquor reaching
them. The resin in the lowest chamber is then removed as a slurry, while the resin in all
the chambers above are in turn transferred to the chambers correspondingly below. The
topmost chamber is then filled with freshly eluted resin from the elution column.

The absorption process then continues until effluent ion break through is again detected
and resin removal and movements have to be repeated again. This way, the resin is
continuously transferred each time from the lowest chamber of the adsorption column
via the measuring chamber to the elution column, while leach liquor or leach solution
flows upward the absorption column in direction counter current to the movement of the
resin. The loaded resin is transferred to the bottom of the elution column, where the
whole plug of loaded resin is raised through the eluent and then through a rinse water
flowing down the column before being discharge at the top for return to the absorption
column. This way the resin continuously moves down the adsorption column and up the
elution column, in the adsorption column against pregnant leach liquor exchanging the
target ions, while in the elution column releasing the adsorbed ions to the eluent.

Rectangular tank with V-shaped base along which was a perforated pipe for air
sparging. The trough was divided into sections with solid baffles each having a small
hole at the slurry level for flow between sections. Each section had an independent
aeration system and a drain for high-density solids removal (the pyrite-enriched fraction,
subsequently the feed for the bacterial feed to the reactor)

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Itemise the operational steps involved in adsorption of gold from leach solution,
the elution step that follow, and the regeneration of carbon.

In general,

Adsorption takes about 24 hours for a solution containing about 10 ppm gold.

One ton of activated carbon adsorbs about 10 Kg gold.

About 1 Kg carbon is used to treat about 4 litres of solution.

Desorption of gold from activated charcoal takes about 50 hours.

Desorption of gold is typically carried out using 0.2% sodium cyanide and 1% sodium
hydroxide at 90°C.

The carbon is recovered first by acid washing to remove calcium carbonate precipitate,
washing with water to remove entrained solutions, followed by dewatering.

The carbon is re-activated by heating for 30 minutes at 700°C in absence of air,

followed by quenching.

Presence of organic compound such as ethanol in the solution hinders

adsorption of ions on activated carbon. Explain why this phenomenon. How is
this effect applied to the advantage of the whole process of solution purification
by adsorption over activated carbon?

Ethanol has a lower dielectric constant compared to water. When in solution, it lowers
the overall dielectric constant of the solution. Hence oppositely charged ions are able to
attract more, and similar charges repulse more. This causes increased repulsion which
prevent easy passage to adsorption sites. Adsorption ions can be repelled out of its site.

Advantage: Organic solvents such as ethanol can be used to bring about desorption of
adsorbed ions. A solution of 20% ethanol with at about 90? C desorbs gold readily from
charcoal.

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References

1. Jackson E.: Hydrometallurgical Extraction and Reclamation, Ellis Horwood Ltd., New
York, 1986, pp.253.

2. Habashi F.: Recent advances in pressure hydrometallurgy, Int. Conf. on advances in

chemical metallurgy, Bombay, January 1979.

3. Evans L.: Selecting engineering materials for chemical and process plant, Business
Books, Ltd., 1974.

4. Evans L.: Solid – liquid separation, Eng. Min. Journal, 181, 6, 1980, 120–124

5. Fletcher J.B.: In place leaching – Miami Mine, Symp. Arizona Section Meeting, AIME,
April 1962.

6. Lung T.N.: Hydrometallurgy, 17, 1986, 113–129.

7. Agricola G.: De Re Metallica, 1556, Hoover, H.C and Hoover L.H. transl, Dover, New
York.

8. Benedict C.H., Kenny H.C.: Trans. AIME, 70, 1924, 595–610.

9. van der Poel C.S.: Metallurgical operations at Bwana M’Kuba, Proc. 3rd. Empire
Mining and Metallurgical Congress, South Africa, part 3, 1930, 427–449.