Pretreatment and thiosulfate leaching of refractory gold-bearing arsenosulfide concentrates

A hydrometallurgical process for refractory gold-bearing arsenosulfide concentrates at ambient temperature and pressure was presented, including fine grinding with intensified alkali-leaching （FGIAL）, enhanced agitation alkali-leaching （EAAL）, thiosulfate leaching and displacement. Experimental results on a refractory gold concentrate showed that the total consumption of NaOH in alkaline leaching is only 41% of those theoretically calculated under the conditions of full oxidization for the same amount of arse- nides and sulfides transformed into arsenates and sulfates, and 72.3% of gold is synchro-dissoluted by thiosulfate self-generated during alkaline leaching. After alkaline leaching, thiosulfate leaching was carried out for 24 h. The dissolution of gold is increased to 91.9% from 4.6% by cyanide without the pretreatment. The displacement of gold by zinc powder in the solution gets to 99.2%. Due to an amount of thiosulfate self-generated during alkaline leaching, the reagent addition in thiosulfate leaching afterwards is lower than the normal.

Consolidation mechanism of gold concentrates containing sulfur and carbon during oxygen-enriched air roasting

Consolidation in calcines is a common problem in the oxygen-enriched air roasting of refractory gold concentrates containing sulfur and carbon when the initial temperature is greater than 600?C. To determine the phases that caused consolidation,gold concentrates were roasted under different conditions and the calcines were mainly detected by X-ray diffraction(XRD). The possible underlying mechanism was then studied through comparisons of the XRD patterns of different calcines. The results indicated that the generation of calcium magnesium silicate,iron-doped calcium aluminosilicate,and calcium aluminate caused the consolidation. Furthermore,an enriched oxygen atmosphere accelerated the oxidation reaction and the emitted heat increased the local temperature in calcines. The local temperature was inferred to have increased to the generation temperature zone of the corresponding liquid phases. Oxidation of the pyrite and decomposition of the dolomite and muscovite mainly occurred at the initial stage of oxygen-enriched air roasting. Calcium was confirmed to be essential to the consolidation process.

A new extraction process of refractory gold arsenosulfide concentrates

A new hydrometallurgical process for the refractory gold arsenosulfideconcentrates under normal temperature and pressure was presented. The experimental results of arefractory gold concentrate show that the total consumption of NaOH in alkaline leaching is only 40%of those theoretically calculated under the conditions of full oxidization at the same oxidation ofarsenic to ar-senate and sulfur to sulfate. After alkaline leaching, cyanidation and adsorptionwere carried out for 24 h. The dissolution of gold by NaCN is increased to 95.3% from 12.8% beforepretreatment, and meanwhile 99.3% of the adsorption of gold by activated charcoal. The consumptionof NaCN for one ton ore is 10 kg, which is 1.2 times less than that before pretreatment. As it iscarried out under normal temperature and pressure, the investment of installations is alsodecreased.

Intensified alkaline leaching pretreatment of refractory gold concentrates at common temperature and pressure

A new process for the hydrometallurgy of refractory gold concentrates was presented. The process comprises grinding leaching, intensified alkaline leaching (IAL), cyanidation and adsorption. In a stirring type pulverizing leaching tower mill, the concentrate is ground to <35.6 μm of 95.5 % while simultaneously leached by NaOH of 12 kg/t, then carried out intensified alkaline leaching for 48 h by NaOH of 108 kg/t in enhanced agitation tanks with the pulp concentration of 40% solids at the environmental temperature of 9.5 ～ 13.5 ℃ and the environmental pressure of 10 5 Pa. The oxidation rate of As is 94.9%, and 47.6% for S. The total consumption of NaOH is only 20% of that theoretically calculated under the conditions of full oxidation at the same oxidation rates of arsenic to arsenate and sulfur to sulfate. The gold leaching rate by NaCN in 24 h is increased from 9.2% before pretreatment to 94.2%. The consumption of NaCN is 7.5 kg/t, which is one times less than that before pretreatment. The extraction cost of gold is about 422 Yuan/t.

Biooxidation-thiosulfate leaching of refractory gold concentrate

A process of biooxidation followed by thiosulfate leaching of gold from refractory gold concentrate was investigated.Mineralogical studies on the concentrate showed that very fine gold grains(<10μm)were encapsulated in pyrite and arsenopyrite,while the proportion of monomer gold was only 21%.The gold-bearing sample was identified as a high-sulfur fine-sized wrapped-type refractory gold concentrate.The gold leaching efficiency obtained by direct cyanidation was only 59.86%.After biooxidation pretreatment,the sulfide minerals were almost completely decomposed,92 wt%of the mineral particles of the biooxidation residue were decreased to<38μm,and the proportion of monomer gold in the biooxidation residue was over 86%.Meanwhile,the gold content in the biooxidation residue was enriched to 55.60 g/t,and the S,Fe,and As contents were reduced to approximately 19.8 wt%,6.97 wt%,and 0.13 wt%,respectively.Ammoniacal thiosulfate was used for gold extraction from the biooxidation residue of the refractory gold concentrate.The results showed that the optimal reagent conditions were 0.18 M thiosulfate,0.02 M copper(II),1.0 M ammonia,and 0.24 M sulfite.Under these conditions,a maximum gold leaching efficiency of 85.05%was obtained.

Effect of mixed moderately thermophilic adaptation on leachability and mechanism of high arsenic gold concentrate in an airlift bioreactor

A refractory gold concentrate with 19% arsenic was treated by a mixed moderately thermophiles in an airlift bioreactor through an adaptation protocol. The moderately thermophiles could respond well to 20%(w/v) pulp density with less than 10% loss of productivity, and resist arsenic up to 15 g/L. There were a lot of jarosite, arsenolite and sulfur, but not scorodite and ferric arsenate in the bioleached residue. Jarosite passivation and lower sulfur-oxidizing activity of the cells due to the toxicity of the high concentrations of soluble arsenic and iron ions at low p H value should mainly response for the incomplete extraction at high pulp density. The initial bacterial community did not change in nature except for new found P aeruginosa ANSC, but sulfur-oxidizing microorganisms have been dominant microorganisms after a long time of adaptation. Pseudomonas aeruginosa originating from the gold concentrate should be closely relative to the metabolism of the organic matters contained in the refractory gold concentrate.

A new extraction process of carbonaceous refractory gold concentrate

A new hydrometallurgical process for a carbonaceous refractory gold concentrate at ambient temperature and pressure was presented, including grinding-leaching, intensified alkaline leaching(IAL), thiosulfate leaching and cementation by zinc powder. The experimental results show that the grinding-leaching and intensified alkaline leaching process result in the selective oxidation of arsenopyrite and pyrite. The oxidation ratio of As is 96.6%, and 46.7% for S. The total consumption of NaOH in alkaline leaching is only 28% of that theoretically calculated under the conditions of full oxidization for the same amount of arsenopyrite and pyrite transforming into arsenates and sulfates, and 83.6% of gold is synchro-dissoluted by thiosulfate self-generated during pretreatment. Since the carbonaceous matter in concentrate possesses a strong capability of preg robbing, the cyanidation process is not suitable for the extraction of gold after pretreatment. However, the gold leaching rate by thiosulfate leaching for 24h is increased to 91.7% from 03.2% by ultra-fine grinding without the pretreatment. The recovery of gold by zinc cementation gets to 99.6%. Due to the thiosulfate self-generated during alkaline leaching, the reagent addition in thiosulfate leaching afterwards is lower than the normal one.

Effect of chloride ion on bacterial pre-oxidation of arsenic-containing gold concentrate

The bacterial pre-oxidation process of arsenic-containing gold concentrates and the bacterial activity under different chloride ion concentrations were studied by using a mixture of thermophilic strains TCJ domesticated in production.The experimental result shows that with different samples and leaching systems,the adaptability and Cl- tolerance of bacteria are different,and that appropriate chloride ion concentration is conductive to bacterial oxidation,while higher chloride ion concentration will inhibit the bacterial activity and affect the pre-oxidation performance.Under the present production conditions,TCJ can adapt to the changes of water quality in the source of water and its critical chloride ion tolerance value is 2.7 g/L.

XPS characteristics of sulfur of bio-oxidized arsenic-bearing gold concentrate and changes of surface nature of bio-oxidation residue

During bio-oxidation of sulfides, the chemical state change of sulfur is a complex and key factor. It is not only an indicator of the extent and intensity of the bio-oxidation, but also controls the property of bio-leaching medium and the period of oxidation. The chemical state of sulfur in sulfides oxidized by leaching bacteria was studied with XPS. Sulfide minerals in the arsenic-bearing gold concentrate consist of pyrite, arsenopyrite, chalcopyrite, galena, sphalerite and so on. In order to probe the pattern of the chemical state change of sulfur in the bio-oxidation residue of arsenic-bearing gold concentrate, the structure of the grains, and the surface nature of the residue, XPS test was carried out through different sputtering duration. The study of XPS clearly shows that: sulfides is progressively oxidized from the surface of minerals to the core by leaching bacteria; the chemical valence of sulfur changes from S2- or [S2]2- to [SO4]2-; sulfur in the core is in a reduction state, S2- or [S2]2-, but exists in an oxidation state S6+ on the surface; due to the chemical state change of sulfur, mineral phase of the bio-oxidation residue is also changed（sulfides inside, while sulfates outside）; the layered structure is found in the grains of the bio-oxidation residue.

Influence of surfactants on bioleaching of arsenic-containing gold concentrate

To shorten the bioleaching cycle of arsenic-containing gold concentrate, surfactants were used to promote the interaction between bacteria and ore to increase the arsenic leaching rate. Three different kinds of surfactants were used to evaluate the effects of surfactants on the growth of bacteria and arsenic leaching rate of arsenic-containing gold concentrate. The mechanism underlying surfactant enhancement was also studied. Results show that when relatively low-concentration surfactants are added to the medium, no significant difference is observed in the growth and Fe2+ oxidation ability of the bacteria compared with no surfactant in the medium. However, only the anionic surfactant calcium lignosulfonate and the nonionic surfactant Tween 80 are found to improve the arsenic leaching rates. Their optimum mass concentrations are 30 and 80 mg/L, respectively. At such optimum mass concentrations, the arsenic leaching rates are approximately 13.7% and 9.1% higher than those without the addition of surfactant, respectively. Mechanism research reveals that adding the anionic surfactant calcium lignosulfonate improves the percentage of bacterial adhesion on the mineral surface and decreases the surface tension in the leaching solution.

SELECTIVE COPPER REMOVAL FROM CUPRIFEROUS GOLD CONCENTRATE

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Bioleaching of refractory gold ore (Ⅲ)--Fluid leaching Jinya refractory gold concentrate by Thiobacillus ferrooxidans

A novel fluidized bed reactor was designed and installed for bioleaching in a semi continuous way, by which a process for bioleaching cyanidation of Jinya refractory gold arsenical concentrate was studied. The arsenic extraction rate reaches 82.5% after 4 day batch biooxidation of the concentrate under the optimized condition of pH 2.0, ferric ion concentration 6.5?g/L and pulp concentration 10%. And leached rate of gold in the following cyanidation is over 90%. The parameters of three series fluidized bed reactors exhibit stability during the semi continuous bioleaching of the concentrate. Arsenic in the concentrate can be got rid of 91% after 6 day leaching. Even after 4 days, 82% of arsenic extraction rate was still obtained. The recovery rates of gold are 92% and 87.5% respectively in cyaniding the above bioleached residues. The results will provide a base for further commercial production of gold development.

Optimal Dearsenification Parameters of Gold Sulfide Concentrate with a High As Content

The gold sulfide concentrate with a high As content in Liangshan District, Sichuan Province, China, is a potentially important resource. This paper describes experiments of dearsenification of gold concentrate in a weakly reduced atmosphere in a rotary pipe furnace. The results showed that the optimal parameters were a temperature range of 650-700℃, 15%-16% CO2 of gas and a reaction time of 30-40 min. The removal rate of arsenic and sulfur was over 95% and 25%-28%, respectively. With further oxidization and roasting, residue sulfur in the roasted materials was dropped to below 4%, and the cyanide leaching recovery of gold was over 92%.

Deep- Seated Tectonic Activation of Tancheng-Lujiang Fault Zone and Its Control over Jiaodong Gold Concentrated Region, China

A comprehensive discussion on the deep seated genesis of gold metallogenic materials and the tectono magmatic controls over gold deposits is given in this paper, which is based on the crustal and upper mantle structural characteristics of the Jiaodong massif, the property, activation history and styles of the Tancheng Lujiang fault zone, as well as a series of accompanying tectono magmatic events. Prediction for further prospecting gold deposits in the area is also made.

THIOUREA LEACHING OF GOLD FROM A CALCINE OF GOLD-BEARING ARSENICAL PYRITE CONCENTRATE

The thiourea leaching of gold from the calcine of gold-bearing arsenical pyrite concentrate of Kangjiawan mine was studied.The effects of the leaching time,the concentrations of thiourea,hydrochloric acid and initial ferric ion on the leaching recovery of gold were investigated,and a regressive model has been established,which showed that the concentrations of thiourea and hydrochloric acid were the most important factors,leaching time the second,and concentration of the initial ferric ion the least・Under the optimal conditions,that is,temperature 50℃,the ratio of liquid to solid 4:1,thiourea 12g/L,hydrochloric acid 1 mol/L,and initial ferric ion 1 g/L,the leaching recoveries of gold and silver were more than 81%and 73%,respectively.The increase of silver recovery and the reduction of thiourea consumption could be attained when sodium sulphite was added.

Effect of Pretreatment of Sulfide Refractory Concentrate with Sodium Hypochlorite, Followed by Extraction of Gold by Pressure Cyanidation, on Gold Removal

The majority of the refractory gold and silver occurs in occlusion in sulphides, then precious metal dissolution is possible by first oxidizing auriferous sulfide concentrate using sodium hypochlorite-sodium-hydroxide solution followed of pressure cyanidation of the oxidized concentrate, for the extraction of precious metals. This process was conducted and evaluated under cyanide and oxygen pressure. This versatile approach offers many advantages, including low temperatures, low pressure and less costly materials of construction than conventional pressure oxidation. In this study, the effect of oxygen pressure, concentration of sodium hypochlorite, temperature, and initial pH, in precious metals recovery and As removal were evaluated using a 24 factorial design. Characterization of the ores showed that pyrite and arsenopyrite were the main minerals present on the concentrate. The best results for gold extraction were obtained with oxygen pressure of 80 psi, 10% (w/w) sodium hypochlorite, temperature of 80℃, at pH = 13, and a constant stirring speed of 600 rpm. These conditions allowed an approximated 60% of gold and 90% of silver extractions in 1 hr.

Transport and Concentration of Gold in Metamorphic-hosted Reworked Gold Deposits,China

Calculations based on the available thermodynamic data of AuCl2^- and Au(HS)2^- indicate that AuCl2^- is responsible for the transport and enrichment of gold during the stage of pre-concentration in the source bed while Au(HS)2^- is the main gold species involved in the formation of gold deposits in response to hydrothermal reworking .Acid chloride solutions with αcl^->10° and sulfur-rich solutions with a∑s in excess of 10^-2 are held as important criteria for gold enrichment in the source bed and for the formation of gold deposits by subsequent hydrothermal event, respectively.

Gold and tin of fluid-magmatic systems:causes of combination-separation of concentration elements

The aim of the investigation is to reveal possible causes of isolation and co-occurrence of the economically significant concentrations of gold and tin. Comparative analysis of the different-rank factors that influenced migration and concentration of these elements show that different geochemical properties of Au and Sn are responsible for isolation of their big concentrations giving rise to independent metallogenic provinces, zones, and ore nodes. These differences resulted in individualization of the element migration ways to the level of ore concentration within the fluid-magmatic columns. Three main factors influenced the Au and Sn migration activity: different patterns of metal connection with the melt structure, different relation with oxygen, and different relation with other strong oxidizers. By the moment when ore-bearing fluid became isolated from magmas, the metallogenic signature of the melts, contrasting in redox-potential, had already been defined that was confirmed by the fact that tin ores associate predominantly with the granitoids of ilmenite series and gold ores - with those of magnetite series. The fluid-magmatic systems with an intermediate degree of the melt reduction-oxidation may be considered the potential producers of the combined metal concentrations. In these cases, the combined concentrating of tin and gold is plagued by an opposite direction of the oxidation-reduction reactions when their most common minerals are formed: the main migration form of Sn+2 must be oxidized (with cassiterite portioning), and the forms of Au+ or Au+3 must be reduced (with native gold portioning). Probably, because of this the combined tin and gold concentrations are dominated by one of the metals with a tendency of accumulation in different-stage mineral complexes.

硫精矿中有价金属铜金银的综合回收利用实验

这是一篇矿物加工工程领域的论文。对某含铜金银硫精矿进行了选矿综合回收实验研究,实验结果表明,采用异丁基黄药+乙硫氮组合捕收剂,氧化钙做抑制剂,2^(#)油做起泡剂,经过一次粗选-三次精选-二次扫选的浮选工艺流程,最终可得到铜品位为16.66%、回收率为86.96%,金品位为278.95 g/t,回收率为75.56%;银品位为1848.74 g/t,回收率为78.55%的精矿产品,有效地实现了硫精矿中铜的综合回收,同时使金、银很好地富集在铜精矿中,便于回收利用,选矿指标理想。

安徽宣城矿集区控矿构造特征及其深部找矿指示意义

宣城矿集区因近年发现了茶亭斑岩型铜金矿、长山热液型铅锌矿等大-中型矿产地而成为长江中下游成矿带较热门矿集区之一。通过详细的野外调查和系统分析,本文厘定了研究区北东向构造格架为一条深大断裂带、两个坳陷盆地、三条逆冲推覆构造带,其中推覆构造带由多个自南东向北西运动的倒转复式褶皱和叠瓦状逆冲岩席组成。根据典型矿床控矿构造解析,明确了江南深大断裂和深部主推覆构造是区内一级控岩控矿构造,北东向断裂带及其次级构造、推覆体上盘倒转褶皱转折端和翼部、层间破碎带、五通组与黄龙-船山组的“硅钙面”、燕山晚期中酸性侵入岩与碳酸盐岩的接触带等为区内重要的控矿、容矿构造,并据此提出了该区下一步深部找矿方向。