Mineralogical characterization and pretreatment for antimony extraction by ozone of antimony-bearing refractory gold concentrates

The mineralogical characterization of antimony-bearing refractory gold concentrates and the antimony extraction by ozonein HCl solution were investigated.The mineralogical study shows that there exist stibnite(Sb2S3),arsenopyrite(FeAsS),pyrite(FeS2)and quartz in the concentrates,and the gold is mainly(67.42%)encapsulated in sulfides.The antimony extraction by ozone inhydrochloric acid was employed and the influences of temperature,liquid/solid ratio,HCl concentration and stirring speed on theextraction of antimony were investigated.High antimony extraction(93.75%)is achieved under the optimized conditions.After thepretreatment by ozone,the antimony is recovered efficiently and the gold is enriched in the leaching residue.

Alteration Information Extraction by Applying Synthesis Processing Techniques to Landsat ETM+Data: Case Study of Zhaoyuan Gold Mines, Shandong Province, China

Satellite remote sensing data are usually used to analyze the spatial distribution pattern of geological structures and generally serve as a significant means for the identification of alteration zones. Based on the Landsat Enhanced Thematic Mapper （ETM＋） data, which have better spectral resolution （8 bands） and spatial resolution （15 m in PAN band）, the synthesis processing techniques were presented to fulfill alteration information extraction： data preparation, vegetation indices and band ratios, and expert classifier-based classification. These techniques have been implemented in the MapGIS-RSP software （version 1.0）, developed by the Wuhan Zondy Cyber Technology Co., Ltd, China. In the study area application of extracting alteration information in the Zhaoyuan （招远） gold mines, Shandong （山东） Province, China, several hydorthermally altered zones （included two new sites） were found after satellite imagery interpretation coupled with field surveys. It is concluded that these synthesis processing techniques are useful approaches and are applicable to a wide range of gold-mineralized alteration information extraction.

Chinese Bio-oxidation Gold Extraction Technology Reaches International Advanced Level

In Liaoning, Hunan, Guangxi, Guizhou, Gansu, Sichuan, Anhui, Jilin and other provinces in China, there is a wide occurrence of metal quantity over 1000 tons of refractory gold ores, principally because of low gold recoveries and become ＂stay mine＂. Features of refi＇actory gold ores are： gold in micro-particles or a microscopic state that is wrapped in pyrite, presence of arsenopyrite and other sulfide minerals or disseminated in the crystal lattice of sulfide minerals; harmful impurity elements such as arsenic, carbon, mercury, antimony, copper with high content are closely related with the gold, and these elements affect the contact reaction between the gold and solvent extraction, making the recovery of the gold extraction process low. In the past 20 years, overseas countries have developed the application of the roasting oxidation method, hot acid （alkali） oxidation, bacterial oxidation and flash chlorination oxidation technology to solve this problem.Among these, biological oxidation has developed rapidly in the domestic market and gold enterprises abroad because of its low investment in infrastructure, low production costs, less environmental pollution, simple process and easy control, etc.

Study on Gold (Ⅰ) Solvent Extraction from Alkaline Cyanide Solution by TBP with Addition of Surfactant

The new solvent extraction system for gold() from alkaline cyanide solution by TBP with addition of surfactant in aqueous phase was studied. The effect of various factors, such as equilibrium pH, constitution of organic phase, molar ratio of CPBAu(CN)2-, extraction time, aqueous/organic phase ratio, different initial gold concentration, equilibrium temperature, different diluent, different types of extractants and surfactants etc., was inspected. The results show that gold() can be extracted quantitatively by controlling the quantity of surfactant (CPB); both the equilibrium pH and diluent hardly influence percent extraction. Gold() percent extraction reaches more than 98% under the optimal experimental conditions. 30% vol TBP diluted by sulphonating kerosene can load gold() to rather high levels. Loading capacity is in excess of 38 g/L. The extraction mechanism is discussed and the overall extraction reaction is deduced.

Selective extraction of gold(Ⅲ) from hydrochloric acid-chlorine gas leach solutions of copper anode slime by tri-butyl phosphate(TBP)

The oxidative leaching causes to dissolve various impurities such as Fe, Cu, Pd, Se in copper anode slime. Organicextractant tri-butyl phosphate (TBP) was used to purify leach solution. Several parameters, such as TBP, HCl and chloride inorganicsalt concentrations were chosen in order to determine efficient state for impurities separation. Standard solvent extraction tests forextraction and separation of Au, Pd, Pt, Fe, Cu and Se were conducted with equal volume of aqueous and organic phases in batchexperiments. The effect of hydrochloric acid, organic phase and metals initial concentration were examined at ambient temperature. Itwas found that 0.25 mol/L TBP in the presence of 2.5 mol/L hydrochloric acid can cause high extraction of gold. Meanwhile, in theseconditions the extraction of other impurities is negligible. After extraction, pregnant organic phase was scrubbed by distilled waterand some impurities were removed. Finally, gold was stripped by sodium thiosulfate solution. The stripping solution does not haveany impurities. By adding H2SO4 to stripping solution containing Na2S2O2, SO2 gas is released and Au3+ ions could be reduced.

Studies on the Extraction of Gold (I) Cyanide by Quaternary Ammonium Salt Using ^(198)Au as Tracer

The solvent extraction of KAu(CN)2 from alkaline solution by quaternary ammonium salts (trialkyl-methylammonium chloride or cetyltrimethylammonium bromide) was investigated by means of 198Au radioactive tracer method. Various parameters, such as the gold (I) concentration in aqueous phase, the modifier, emulsification at the interface of two phases, and phase ratio used in the extraction of gold (I) were studied. The results demonstrate that almost all gold (I) in the aqueous phase was practically extracted into the organic phase. The water content in the organic phase decreased significantly with increase of gold (I) concentration using long chain alcohol as modifier, in contrast with the system with tributyl phosphate (TBP) as modifier. Emulsification at the interface of two phases decreases with an increase of modifier concentration in the organic phase or with the addition of a small amount of lysozyme into the aqueous phase. The method with 198Au tracer can be directly used to determine the Au(I) concentration both in aqueous and organic phases, which is especially suitable for the low concentration of Au(I).

A review of gold extraction using noncyanide lixiviants: Fundamentals, advancements, and challenges toward alkaline sulfur-containing leaching agents

Alkaline sulfur-containing lixiviants,including thiosulfate,polysulfides,and alkaline sulfide solutions,stand out as a promising class of alternatives to cyanide because of their low toxicity,high efficiency,and strong adaptability.In this paper,we summarized the research progress and remaining challenges in gold extraction using these noncyanide reagents.After a brief introduction to the preparation method,the transformation process of various sulfur-containing species in alkaline solutions was discussed.Thereafter,some insights into the mechanism of gold leaching in alkaline sulfur-containing solutions were presented from different aspects,including thermodynamics analysis,electrochemical dissolution,and leaching kinetics.Moreover,recent progress in in-situ generation of sulfur-containing anions from gold-bearing sulfide minerals was outlined as well.Gold passivation caused by sulfur species was discussed in particular because it is considered the greatest challenge facing sulfur-containing leaching systems.Alkaline sulfur-containing lixiviants are expected to serve as alternatives in industrial applications of gold extraction,particularly for refractory gold ores containing copper and carbonaceous matter.

THE SYNERGISTIC MECHANISM OF SOLVENT EXTRACTION OF GOLD IN HCl MEDIA WITH TOA AND TOPO

The mechanism of synergistic extraction of gold in HCl media was researched with tri n octyl amine(TOA) and tri n octyl phospine oxide(TOPO). It was determined that the composition of synergistic extract is (TOAHTOPO)AuCl 4; the constant of synergistic extracting equilibrium is 10 9.20 ; and the synergistic reaction is exothermic with -17.187 kJ/K·mol of Δ H 298 . The extraction mechanism was also studied by the IR spectra and UV spectra. It is found that the extraction mechanism belongs to ion association type.

Extraction of gold, palladium, and platinum from acidic media with cyclic sulfoxide derivative

The extraction of gold （Ⅲ）, palladium （Ⅱ）, and platinum （Ⅳ） from the acidic media with the cyclic sulfoxide derivative of α-dodecyl-tetrahydrothiophene 1-oxide （dtmso） was investigated. Gold （Ⅲ）, palladium （Ⅱ）, and platinum （Ⅳ） could be separated from the acidic media with suitable sulfoxide concentration and acidity. The extraction reaction of gold （Ⅲ）, palladium （Ⅱ） or platinum （Ⅳ） is exothermic when dtmso is used as an extracting reagent. The coordination number was studied by the slope method. The results indicate that, in high acidity, the dtmso coordination number for extracting gold （Ⅲ） or palladium （Ⅱ） is 3, and that for platinum （Ⅳ） is 2. UV and FT-IR spectra were used to analyze the structure of the complex. Gold （Ⅲ） is coordinated with the oxygen atom in S=O group in dtmso, and palladium （Ⅱ） or platinum （Ⅳ） is coordinated with the sulfur atom in S=O group in dtmso.

Extraction of Gold by Di(2-ethylhexyl)Sulfoxide and N-Octyl Sulfoxide

A long chain aliphatic sulfoxide can be used as an extractant.It can extract almost all metallic ions which can be extracted by tributylphosphate (TBP).The extraction of gold was studied by Chekushin,V. S. and Mojski,M.using petroleum sulfoxide and n-dioctyl sulfoxide(DOSO) as an extractant respectively.

OTMSO的萃金性能及机理研究

讨论了环状亚砜衍生物α 辛烷 四氢噻吩亚砜 (OTMSO)的萃金性能及其机理 ,研究了亚砜浓度、酸度和温度对萃取率的影响。根据斜率法、红外光谱分析 ,认为在低酸度下OTMSO以中性络合溶剂化机理萃金 ,萃合物组成为 (HAuCl4)·3OTMSO ;在高酸度下OTMSO以离子缔合机理萃金 ,萃合物组成为 (H·3OTMSO ) + AuCl4-;OTMSO通过氧与金配位。

Solid-phase extraction gold from alkaline cyanide solution with quaternary ammonium surfactant

The solid-phase extraction（SPE） technique applied to the extraction of organic compound was creatively used as the extraction of inorganic gold in the paper.Two types of techniques were proposed and explored,namely the SPE and the liquid–liquid extraction（LLE） of the quaternary ammonium surfactant [cetytrimethyl ammonium bromide（CTMAB）,cetyl pyridine bromide（CPB）,benzyl dimethyl dodecyl ammonium chloride（BDMDAC）,and dodecyl trimethyl ammonium chloride（DTMAC）].The surfactant could react with Au（CN）2^- to form the ionic complex,and the compound could be extracted by SPE column of reversed-phase bonded silica gel.Hence,a new method of SPE was proposed to extract gold with these features of the high selectivity,the reliability,and the simplicity.The experimental result shows that the recovery rate of gold is more than 98 %,and the solid-phase extraction column is not easily damaged and it can be repeatedly used.The new method can be used as the extraction process of gold from alkaline cyanide solution as well.Besides,the paper also puts forward a new process of gold extraction.

STUDIES ON THE EXTRACTION MECHANISM OF GOLD (Ⅲ) FROM HYDROCHLORIC ACID MEDIUM BY TRIPHENYLPHOSPHINE OXIDE (TPPO)

In studies on the extraction chemistry of gold, the extractants of alcohols, ethers, ketones and amines are widely used. The neutral extractants tributylphosphate (TBP) and trioctylphosphine oxide (TPPO) have been widely applied. A few experiments on the synthesis of solid complexes of transition metal ions with TPPO have been car-

Study on gold concentrate leaching by iodine-iodide

Gold extraction by iodine-iodide solution is an effective and environment-friendly method. In this study, the method using iodine-iodide for gold leaching is proved feasible through thermodynamic calculation. At the same time, experiments on flotation gold concentrates were carried out and encouraging results were obtained. Through optimizing the technological conditions, the attained high gold leaching rate is more than 85%. The optimum process conditions at 25℃ are shown as follows： the initial iodine concentration is 1.0%, the iodine-to-iodide mole ratio is 1：8, the solution pH value is 7, the liquid-to-solid mass ratio is 4：1, the leaching time is 4 h, the stirring intensity is 200 r/mim, and the hydrogen peroxide consumption is 1%.

Effect of mechanical activation on thiosulfate leaching of gold from complex sulfide concentrate

The use of mechanical activation to enhance gold recovery from a CuPbZn complex sulfide concentrate was investigated. The effects of milling time, ball size, sample to ball ratio and milling speed on thiosulfate leaching were studied. Under optimum conditions of milling time 1 h, ball size 20 mm, sample to ball ratio 1/15 and mill speed 600 r/min, nearly 78% of sample is amorphized, particle size decreases from d100=30 μm to d100=8 μm, specific surface area increases from 1.3 m2/g to 4.6 m2/g and gold recovery enhances from 17.4 % in non-activated sample to 73.26 %.

Solid-phase extraction of trace Au(Ⅲ) with SDG and determination by the catalytic spectrophotometric method

The new catalytic kinetic spectrophotometric method for Au（III） determination was developed and validated. It was based on the catalytic effect of gold on the oxidation of sudan red III by ammonium peroxodisulfate （（NH4）2S2O8） with nitrilo triacetic acid as an activator in microemulsion and H2SO4 medium. Under optimum conditions, there was the linearity of the calibration curve in the concentration range from 0 to 20 μg/L Au（Ⅲ） at 520 nm. The relative standard deviation was 3.0% with a correlation coefficient of 0.9986. The detection limit achieved was 9.75 × 10^-5 μg/mL. A new method using a column packed with sulfhydryl dextrose gel （SDG） as a solid-phase extractant has been developed for the preconcentration and separation of Au（Ⅲ） ions. The method has been applied to the determination of trace gold with satisfactory results.

Solvent extraction of rubidium from gold waste using conventional SX and new CFE methods

Solvent extraction（SX） of rubidium（Rb） from leaching filtrate of gold waste（GW） in Mouteh Processing Plant by 18-crown-6（18C6） was studied. High potential of new column flotoextraction（CFE） method in extraction of Rb from dilute solutions was also demonstrated. First, the factors affecting SX of Rb from a synthetic rubidium sulfate solution(containing 100 mg·L-1Rb) were identified.0.05 mol·L-118C6 in kerosene, 0.02 mol·L-1picric acid in aqueous phase, aqueous to organic（A/O） ratio of 1, p H7 and mixing time of 15 min are the optimum values for affective factors. The three-stage precipitation with sodium carbonate, p H adjustment with sulfuric acid and two-stage evaporation and crystallization were conducted to purify the leaching from impurities such as Fe, Al, Mn, Ca and especially competing cations of K and Na. Almost complete extraction of Rb and K from final filtrate containing 0.08 mol·L-1picric acid was performed using 0.2 mol·L-118C6 in kerosene. The Rb and K strippings of 99.12 % and 9.93 %, respectively, are obtained with 2 mol·L-1nitric acid with A/O ratio of 2. Finally, the performance comparison of the CFE and SX methods in similar conditionsshows increased extraction of K and Rb by 16 % and 5 %,respectively, using CFE method.

Synthesis of silver and gold nanoparticles from leaf of Litchi chinensis and its biological activities

Objective: To synthesize and isolate silver and gold nanoparticles from Litchi chinensis leaf methanolic extract, and to evaluate its comparative biological activities including muscles relaxant, analgesic, anti-inflammatory and antidiarrheal. Methods: The gold and silver nanoparticles were synthesized by dissolving methanolic extract in gold chloride and silver nitrate solution separately which were confirmed by colour change and UV-Vis spectroscopy, and pellets were collected through centrifugation. Biological activities of the extract were conducted on BALB/c mice through various standard methods and the data were subjected to One-way ANOVA. Results: The colorless gold chloride solution changed to purple soon after the addition of plant extract, demonstrating that the reaction took place and gold ions were reduced to gold nanoparticles, while colorless silver nitrate solution changed to light and dark brown that was indicative of silver nanoparticles. The muscles relaxant activity showed that silver nanoparticles were more effective than gold nanoparticles and methanolic extract in traction test. The analgesic activity showed that silver and gold nanoparticles showed highest percentage decrease in acetic acid induced writhing at the doses of 50, 100 and 150 mg/kg b.w. The highest anti-inflammatory activity was produced by gold nanoparticles followed by silver nanoparticles, while low activity was observed in methanolic leaf extract. Only the crude methanolic extract showed significant antidiarrheal activity as compared to the standard drug atropine sulphate, while antidiarrheal activities of gold and silver nanoparticles were non-significant. Conclusions: The present work concludes that isolated silver and gold nanoparticles from leaf methanolic extract shows strong muscles relaxant, analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities while crude methanolic extract possesses good antidiarrheal activity.

LEACHING GOLD BY LOW CONCENTRATION THIOSULFATE SOLUTION

The effects of the concentrations of thiosulfate,copper and ammonia on the extraction of gold from sulfide gold concentrate have been studied.The results show that it is possible to reduce thiosulfate concentration.More than 95%of the gold could be extracted by a 0.2 mol/L thiosulfate leaching solution in two hours under suitable conditions.Therefore,the process of washing the residue was simplified,and the consumption and loss of thiosulfate carried by the washing residue were reduced.

Mechanism of gold solvent extraction from aurocyanide solution by quaternary amines: models of extracting species based on hydrogen bonding

The mechanism of gold solvent extraction from KAu(CN)2 solution was investigated by means of FTIR, EXAFS, ICP and radioactive tracer methods. Two extraction systems were studied, namely N263-tributyl phosphate(TBP)-n-dodecane and N263-iso-octanol-n-dodecane. High-resolution FT IR spectroscopy indicated that the CN stretching vibrations of the two extraction systems differred greatly. In order to interpret the significant difference in CN stretching vibrations, twoextracting species models are proposed——supramolecular structures based on the formation ofhydrogen bonds between Au(CN)2- and modifiers such as TBP and iso-octanol.