Technology of Gold Recovery from Preg-Robbing Ores

N A Dementyeva1, V M Mullov2 and M A Vinokurova3

ABSTRACT
Due to treatment of refractory carbonaceous low-grade gold ores a new technology providing improved precious metal recovery is required. For this reason, a technology including gravity, flotation, recleaning of the flotation concentrate, intensive cyanidation of the gravity concentrate and carbon in leach (CIL)-process for intensive cyanidation tailings and the recleaned concentrate was developed. The proposed technology allows to decrease preg-robbing activities of concentrates treated by subsequent cyanidation. Total gold recovery by the proposed technology from the ore with a head grade of 0.8 g/t was 83.9 per cent. The gold loading onto the activated carbon from CIL process was 6.500 g/t.

DISCUSSION
The ore tested was gold-quartz carbonaceous low-sulfide and contained trace non-ferrous, rare and radioactive elements. Sulfide content in the ore varied from 0.3 to 1.1 per cent. Carbonaceous siliceous and clayey siliceous shales formed approximately 60 per cent of the ore sample. Carbonaceous material content was 4.0 - 4.5 per cent. Carbonaceous material was X-ray amorphous, low-graphitised and highly ashed. The major valuable in the ore was gold. The gold was associated with quartz, sulfides, siliceous micaceous aggregates and carbonaceous material. The content of free (recoverable by amalgamation) gold was 70 - 80 per cent. The mineralogical composition of the ore tested is presented in Table 1. TABLE 1
Mineralogical composition of the ore tested.
Components Quartz Mica (sericite, muscovite, hydrosericite) Feldspars (albite) Carbonates (dolomite, calcite, siderite) Chlorite Kaolinite Sulfides, including: Pyrite Arsenopyrite Iron hydroxides, jarosite, scorodite Carbonaceous material Total Mass yield (%) 35.0 13.9 28.0 8.6 5.0 4.0 1.1 0.3 0.8 0.1 4.3 100.0

INTRODUCTION
In recent years, as high-grade and non-refractory gold ore deposits have become largely depleted, the ability to recover gold from refractory low-grade ores has become more important. The refractory ores often contain naturally-occurring carbonaceous material which can adsorb gold-cyanide complexes from solutions. In Russia 30 per cent of the total gold ore reserves are made up of these refractory ores. The preg-robbing activity of the carbonaceous material contained in the ore varies for each gold cyanide complex. The preg-robbing activity can be determined only by tests. The following methods were proposed to treat the preg-robbing ores depending on their preg-robbing activity:

direct cyanidation under the special conditions which

completely or almost completely prevents gold adsorption from solutions by the carbonaceous material (Lodeischikov, 1998); oxidation of the carbonaceous material with subsequent cyanidation (Anon, 1988); and processing of the ore including classification, desliming and flotation to produce low-grade products with subsequent cyanidation (Lodeischikov, 1999).

chemical (chlorination) or thermochemical (roasting) activated carbon extraction from the ore by mechanical

Laboratory test results

The gold recovery in the combined concentrate by gravity/ flotation was 91.9 per cent at the total concentrate mass yield of 1.8 per cent, including the gold recovery in the flotation concentrate of 29.7 per cent at the concentrate mass yield of 1.2 per cent. Carbonaceous material mass yield in the gravity middlings was six per cent (carbonaceous material content was two per cent) and in the flotation concentrate it was 12 per cent (carbonaceous material content was three per cent). This high carbonaceous material content in the flotation concentrate results in its high refractoriness to cyanidation. The gravity/flotation test results are presented in Table 2. TABLE 2
Gravity/flotation test results.
Gravity/flotation products Gravity concentrate Flotation concentrate Combined gravity/ flotation concentrate Flotation tailings Ore Mass yield (%) 0.6 1.2 1.8 98.2 100.0 Gold grade (g/t) 82.3 19.8 40.8 0.07 0.8 Gold recovery (%) 61.7 29.7 91.4 8.6 100.0

Test results and gold plant practice showed that preg-robbing carbonaceous ore slime particles of less than 0.01 mm, which are amenable to overgrinding, can be removed by classification (desliming) (Lodeischikov, 1999). High gold recovery from some preg-robbing gold ores and concentrates can be achieved by cyanidation using organic cyanides, surfactants (kerosene, cresylic acid, combustible oils, acetone, etc) and some chemical reagents, which are used for gold elution from pregnant activated carbons. Irgiredmet JSC has developed an improved technology for processing and cyanidation of concentrates produced from preg-robbing ores. This technology was tested using ore from a Russian gold deposit.
1. Leading Researcher, Ore Concentration Laboratory, Irgiredmet JSC, 38 Gagarina Boulevard, Irkutsk 664025, Russia. Email: inats@irgiredmet.ru Leading Researcher, Precious Metals Hydrometallurgy Laboratory, Irgiredmet JSC, 38 Gagarina Boulevard, Irkutsk 664025, Russia. Email: inats@irgiredmet.ru Researcher, Ore Concentration Laboratory, Irgiredmet JSC, 38 Gagarina Boulevard, Irkutsk 664025, Russia. Email: inats@irgiredmet.ru

2.

3.

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Desliming of the flotation concentrate by cycloning with subsequent flotation of the cyclone overflow decreased the pregrobbing activity of the carbonaceous material. The generated flotation concentrate was re-deslimed using cyclone. The final flotation product assayed 1.3 g/t Au and final cyclone overflow assayed 3.0 g/t Au; 7.2 per cent gold recovery per operation were recycling products and were returned to the main cycle of ore processing. The underflow products from both cyclones were combined and treated by tabling. The flotation recleaning concentrate assayed 9221.0 g/t Au was combined with the gravity concentrate assayed 82.3 g/t Au. The combined gravity concentrate was readily amenable to intensive cyanidation tests. The recleaning flotation concentrate tailings assayed 36.8 g/t Au were readily amenable to carbon-in-leach (CIL) tests. The gravity/flotation recleaning test results are presented in Table 3.

TABLE 3
Gravity/flotation recleaning test results.
Gravity/flotation products Gravity concentrate Gravity tailings Flotation tailings Cyclone overflow Initial flotation concentrate Mass yield (%) 0.035 41.16 19.905 38.9 100.0 Gold grade (g/t) 9221.0 36.8 1.3 3.0 19.8 Gold recovery (%) 16.3 76.5 1.3 5.9 100.0

Ore

Grinding I

Cycloning
underflow overflow

Grinding II

Gravity
talings concentrate

Cycloning
underflow overflow

Rougher flotation
Flotation concentrate tailings

Cleaner flotation
flotationconcentrate middlings

Scavenger flotation
concentrate tailings

Cycloning
underflow overflow

Cleaner flotation
concentrate middlings

To tailings disposal

Cycloning
underflow overflow

Gravity
middlings concentrate

To CIL

Intensive cyanidation
FIG 1 - Ore concentration flow sheet including flotation concentrate recleaning.

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TECHNOLOGY OF GOLD RECOVERY FROM PREG-ROBBING ORES

High-grade gravity concentrate

Intensive cyanidation
underflow solution

Gravity middlings

Washing
underflow solution

Electrowinning
solution

Grinding Cycloning
underflow overflow

Au cathodic precipitate

Additional gold loading

solution carbon

To smelting

Thickening Filtration
solution cake

Repulping
Overflow to recycling

Carbon adsorption
tailings carbon

To detoxification

Gold elution
solution carbon

Electrowinning
solution

Regeneration

Au cathodic precipitate

To smelting
FIG 2 - Gravity concentrate and gravity middlings hydrometallurgy.

The gold recovery in the generated concentrate was 92.8 per cent per operation at mass yield of 0.5 per cent of the ore feed weight. To evaluate the amenability of the gravity/flotation products to treatment by cyanidation their preg-robbing activity was determined. To evaluate the preg-robbing activity of the gold ores and concentrates Irgiredmet JSC proposed to use the relationship between the preg-robbed gold and the total cyanidable gold. The preg-robbing activity was determined using the following equation: R C Au solution A = 1 100 % C head C min where: A = preg-robbing activity (per cent)

= liquid to solid ratio (L:S)

CAu solution = gold concentration in the solution during direct cyanidation (without addition of adsorbent) (g/m3) Chead Cmin = gold head grade (g/t) = gold grade in cyanidation tailings with addition of an excess adsorbent during CIL treatment (g/t)

Tests on determination of preg-robbing activity of the ore and the gravity/flotation products were carried out using the proposed procedure. During the tests activated carbon was added. The results from these tests as well as maximum gold loading onto activated carbon, added in CIL-process, are presented in Table 4. The ore and the gravity tailings displayed high preg-robbing activity (more than 90 per cent) and thus they were not amenable to cyanide leaching.

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N A DEMENTYEVA, V M MULLOV and M A VINOKUROVA

TABLE 4
Preg-robbing test results.
Products A (%) >90 >90 >90 77.3 16.2 Maximum gold Amenability to loading onto cyanide leaching carbon (g/kg) 0.22 0.27 2.64 32.0 Not amenable Not amenable Not amenable Amenable Amenable Gravity concentrate Mass yield (%) Gold grade (g/t) Gold recovery (%) Gravity middlings Mass yield (%) Gold grade (g/t) Gold recovery (%) Flotation tailings Mass yield (%) Gold grade (g/t) Gold recovery (%) Description Ore head grade (g/t)

TABLE 5
Process performance from the tests on the technology proposed.

0.8 Gravity and flotation 0.07 618.0 54.1 0.73 36.7 33.5 99.19 0.1 12.4 14.5 97.3 (53.0) 3.6 89.2 (30.9) 95.7 83.9 6.5

Ore Gravity tailings Flotation concentrate Initial Recleaned Gravity middlings Underground

The recleaned flotation concentrate indicated 77.3 per cent preg-robbing activity and was readily amenable to CIL-process. However, gold loading of the activated carbon was low. The gravity middlings showed 16 - 19 per cent preg-robbing activity and were amenable to CIP-process. In this case high gold loading onto the activated carbon was achieved. It was found that the high-grade gravity concentrate did not contain carbonaceous material. Therefore, it was recommended to treat this concentrate by intensive cyanidation followed by electrowinning of gold from the pregnant solution.

Intensive cyanidation of gravity concentrates Gold in intensive cyanidation tailings (g/t) Gold recovery into solution (%) Leach efficiency (recovery) CIL of gravity middlings Gold in CIL tailings (g/t) Gold recovery onto carbon (%) Adsorption (recovery) Gold recovery by hydrometallurgy (%) Total gold recovery from the ore (%) Loaded carbon capacity (g/kg)

Extensive test results

The proposed technology of flotation concentrate recleaning by gravity/flotation was tested during the extensive test program. The flow sheet is shown in Figure 1. The products produced using the developed flow sheet were as follows:

the high-grade gravity concentrate forwarded for intensive

cyanidation,

gravity middlings forwarded to CIL-process, and final flotation tailings.

The proposed flow sheet (see Figure 2) included intensive cyanidation of the unground high-grade gravity concentrate followed by electrowinning of the dissolved gold from the pregnant solutions and CIL of the gravity middlings together with reground intensive cyanidation tailings. The advantage of the direct cyanidation of the unground high-grade gravity concentrate by intensive cyanidation was simplification of the flow sheet due to elimination of the recleaning process to generate a high-grade smeltable concentrate. CIL was used instead of CIP. The extensive test results are presented in Table 5.

recovery from ore with a head grade of 0.8 g/t was 83.9 per cent, including 53 per cent from the high-grade concentrate and 30.9 per cent by CIL of gravity middlings and intensive cyanidation tailings. The gold loading onto the activated carbon from CIL-process was 6.500 g/t. Recleaning of flotation concentrate by cycloning and flotation allows significantly improved precious metal indices from concentrates by hydrometallurgy. The test results presented in this paper showed that the proposed technology can be efficiently used for refractory carbonaceous gold ores including low-grade ores.

REFERENCES
Anon, 1988. Roasting plans of Freeport Company, Mining Journal, 7976:23. Lodeischikov, V V, 1998. Main Irgiredmets test and development results on gold recovery from Sukhoi Log ores, in Irgiredmet Proceedings, 125 Years Anniversary Edition, pp 417-435 (Irgiredmet: Irkutsk) (in Russian). Lodeischikov, V V, 1999. Technology of Gold and Silver Recovery from Refractory Ores, vol 2, pp 464-484 (Irgiredmet: Irkutsk) (in Russian).

CONCLUSIONS
The developed technology of flotation concentrate recleaning by cycloning/flotation allowed the reduction in the preg-robbing activity as well as the 2.5 per cent reduction in the mass yield of the flotation concentrate. The total gold weight in the recycling products was about one per cent of the ore feed weight. Some of this gold was recovered during ore processing. The total gold

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