Hydrometallurgy: Leaching in Heap, Vat, CIL, CIP, Merrill–Crowe, SX Solvent Extraction

Hydrometallurgy: Leaching in Heap, Vat, CIL, CIP, Merrill–Crowe, SX Solvent Extraction

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Treatment of Gold Tailings (1 reply)

Colin
7 years ago
Colin 7 years ago

We are in the process of building a VAT Leaching plant and I have just received the 32 element test from SGS with a breakdown of the elements. The As and S content look a little high so I was wondering if I need to pre treat the tailings before loading them into the VATS? I have carried out a bottle roll leach test and recovered about 65% which is about the norm for us and the As and S did not interfere much with this process. We used 1000 ppm CN and kept pH at 10.5/11. Any advice appreciated. Thanks.

SGS-32-Elements.pdf
David
7 years ago
David 7 years ago

Colin, the 0.7% Arsenic you have may be enough of a leachability roadblock but it does not confirm it 'the problem'.

The Influence of Arsenic in the Cyanidation of Gold Ores is explained by W. B. Blyth has he is of the opinion that the presence of arsenic in an ore does not necessarily cause that ore to be refractory to cyanide treatment. He thinks the idea arose from the fact that arsenic is so often accompanied by antimony, pyrrhotite or graphite, stating that “the two former minerals cause premature precipitation of the gold almost as fast as it goes into solution, if they are present in sufficient quantity.”

These are old 200um Tanzania tailings? I say be happy with 65%.

Regrinding the tailings to 75 microns may help your leach a bit. I am not sure 10-20% extra recovery on 3 g/t Au can pay for itself.

If you really want to know https://www.911metallurgist.com/cyanidation/diagnostic-leaching-and-gold-deportment/

https://www.911metallurgist.com/blog/diagnostic-gold-leach-test-work

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