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Chemical Engineering Department College of Engineering
Chemical Engineering Department College of Engineering
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
GOLD CYANIDATION
6th June 2021
ABSTRACT
This paper extensively explains the cyanidation leaching process of gold. The
main purpose of using sodium or potassium cyanide leaching solution to leach
gold is to convert the gold to a water-soluble coordination complex. Heap
leaching drums must be used as a pre-treatment step to agglomerate the
crushed ore that may contain a significant amount of ore fines of large sizes
and clay materials that may have developed during crushing so that there will
be a smooth and rapid flow of cyanide leaching solution through the heaps.
Heap leaching is very dependent on particle size and shape; heap leaching
drums ensure uniformity. This paper ventures to provide a compact overview
of the cyanidation heap leaching process of gold using heap leaching drums.
LIST OF CONTENTS PAGE NUMBER
ABSTRACT___________________________________________________
1.NOMENCLATURE ____________________________________________
INTRODUCTION _____________________________________________
2.1 LEACHING OVERIEW________________________________________
3.LEACHING PROCESS_________________________________________
PROCESS CONDITIONS______________________________________
EXTRACTOR________________________________________________
5.1 HEAP LEACHING DRUM______________________________________
5.2 HOW DO HEAP LEACHING DRUMS WORK?_____________________
5.3 WHY USE HEAP LEACHING DRUMS IN GOLD CYANIDATION?______
REFERENCES_______________________________________________
GLOSSARY__________________________________________________
NOMENCLATURE
O2- oxygen
H2O- water
Na[Au(CN)2]-Sodium dicyanoaurate
m - meter
(aq)- aqueous
(s)- solid
(l)- liquid
2.INTRODUCTION
3. LEACHING PROCESS
Gold is an inorganic solid. Gold cyanidation is the most common leaching step
involved in the extraction of gold from its ore. Cyanidation is the only choice
for gold recovery from low-grade ores and finely dispersed ores in both
technological and economical processes. Gold ore is leaching using sodium
or potassium leaching solution to make the gold soluble. Heap leaching is
adopted in this process because it is large-scale production of gold and heap
leaching is the most suitable for large-scale processes. Heap leaching is the
most suitable because it produces the desired concentrates at a lower cost
compared to other unsteady state leaching operations. Gold cyanidation is an
unsteady state leaching operation because, with time, the properties of the
crushed gold ore are changing.
Gold cyanidation is done in four major steps:
a. Step (a) involves crushing or grinding of the ore; most of the time, the ores
are not always completely crushed, they always either contain clay particles
and ore fines and if left like this, the sodium or potassium cyanide solution
would not have free flow through the heaps of the crushed gold ore further
leading to low production of gold.
b. Step (b) involves the use of a heap leaching drum to agglomerate the
crushed ore to ensure uniformity in size by removal of all forms of clay
particles or irregular ore fines. While agglomeration is going on, the sodium or
potassium cyanide leaching solution is applied early to the crushed ore. This
is to allow for the leaching solution to begin leaching the gold ore to offer
further efficiency through a more uniform or homogeneous mix of ore fines
and leaching solution.
c. Step (c) involves the curing of the agglomerated ore in the heap for about
forty-eight hours. In the open, the cyanide solution is sprayed over very huge
heaps of crushed ore that are spread on top of giant collection pads. The
heap is then leached in about (how long the heap of crushed ore is leached
for depends on the amount of crushed gold ore in use), allowing the solution
to drain to the bottom of the heap. The pad then collects the metal
impregnated solution. The chemical reaction for the dissolution of gold to a
water coordination soluble complex is known as the "Elsner Equation", it is
given as:
d. Step (d) comes in after the leaching process. Activated carbon is used to
recover gold from the cyanide solution; this is called the Carbon in Pulp
method. Other ways in which gold can be recovered from the cyanide solution
are Electrowinning and the Merrill- Crowe process. The carbon in pulp method
is the cheapest and simplest method, therefore, making it the most used. In
this method, the sodium/potassium cyanide is treated with activated carbon
causing the gold to detach from the sodium/potassium cyanide.
This process can take days.
4. PROCESS CONDITIONS
5. EXTRACTOR
In the case of gold cyanidation, heap leaching drums work by tumbling the
crushed gold ore in a rotating drum through its interior to achieve the fine and
uniform gold ores. The drum is sized and designed in such a way that
retention time that is essential for the agglomerate to be formed to the desired
size is held The tumbling action is very helpful in rounding the agglomerates
and creating a uniform/homogeneous mixture. The heap leaching drum must
be used with a binding agent like Portland II cement or lime. This would
ensure that the agglomerates do not break up as the leaching solution
percolates through the heap.
Heap leaching drums are used because these ores must be properly
agglomerated; that is completely free from clay or ore fines. This would allow
for easy, smooth, and rapid flow of the cyanide solution through the heaps. If
the heap leaching process is not preceded by the agglomeration step,
production or output would be very low. In that case, the company is looking
at major losses. The Heap leaching drum is also used because it helps to
improve heap permeability and metal recovery.
Not knowing the dangers of using cyanide can lead to death. It is important to
know that cyanide is a very toxic compound and it affects the ecological
environment. Knowing the dangers of cyanide before adopting the gold
cyanidation process for gold extraction is very important.
7.GLOSSARY
Cyanide: a very deadly and fast-acting chemical that exists in more than one
form