Recovery of Gold from Balbach-Thum Slimes a t Copper Cliff, Ontario

BY FREDERIC BENARD,* MEMBBR A.I.M.E.

(New York Meeting, Februacy, 1938)

THE treatment of Balbach-Thum slimes at Copper Cliff by the Ontario Refining Co, is of interest because it differs considerably from methods usually employed for the recovery of fine gold from partingplant slimes. Owing to the comparatively high pcrcentages of palladium and platinum, wet methods are used to remove _the greater proportion of these metals before electrolytic refining in the Wohlwill cells. THE PLANT The platinum-metals department, Wohlwill room, and gold-melting room extend along the north side of the silver refinery and are separated from the parting plant by a glass partition (Figs. 1 and 2). The platinum-metals department resembles a laboratory built on a large scale, with the various pieces of equipment laid out on terraces to facilitate handling. Because of thc corrosive nature of the solutions, chemical stoneware is used throughout. Elevation of acids is accomplished by means of Mariotte bottles. On the top level are three steam-jacketed stoneware kettles of 50-gal. capacity, also a packed tower. One kettle is used for digesting the slimes while the remaining kettles are used for precipitating the gold. The dissolver is equippcd with a treated concrete hood, which is connected to the flue system. Gases are drawn off through the_ packed tower by means of a 6-in. stoneware exhaust fan. A 15 per cent solution of sodium carbonate is continually circulated through the tower. On the intermediate level are two suition filters, one for removing silver chloride and the other for the gold sand. The filter medium consists of an asbestos pad covered with a filter paper on which is a layer of twill. On the bottom level are two rectangular cementation tanks, 24 by 48 by 24 in. deep, and a suction filter used for removing the platinummetal concentrates. The circulating pump for the packed tower is also here. Suction is provided by a vacuum pump having a capacity of 8 cu. ft. a t 20-in. vacuum.
Manuscript received rtt the office of the Institute Dec. 23, 1937. Issued as T.T. 907 in M ~ T A ITECHNOLOGY, ~S February 1938. * Plant Manager, Ontario Refining Co., Ltd., Copper Cliff, Ont. 70

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Adjacent to the platinum-metals department is the Wohlwill room, which contains a battery of six cells, a set of rolls for fabricating starting sheets, and a stoneware drier for cathodes. The Wohlwill cells are of white porcelain 10% by 10% by 12 in. deep inside, and are heated by individual hot plates. A cell consists of two anode rods and three cathode rods, on each of which are suspended three anodes and three starting sheets, respectively. Electrode supports are made of silver. Anodes, in. and weigh approximately 70 troy ounces, which measure 9 by 3 by

are cast with a. hole in the top and are hung from the electrode supports with silver hooks. Cathode starting sheets are strips of fine gold 12 by 2% by in. thick. The end of the starting sheet is turned and punched to form a loop, which is threaded on the cathode rod. Direct current is supplied by a motor-generator set of 200-amp. capacity a t 1 to 12 volts. The cells operate a t 175 amp., which is equivalent to a density of 100 amp. per sq. ft. Voltage drop is 2 volts per cell. The electrolyte is a solution of gold chloride containing 90 to 100 grams of gold and 100 grams of free hydrochloric acid per liter. The electrolyte is agitated by air. The gold-melting room is on the other side of the Wohlwill room. It contains an oil-fired crucible furnace and the necessary anode and bullion molds.

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RECOVERY OF GOLD FROM BALBACH-THUM SLIMES

The parting-plant slimes are removed from the cell (Fig. 3) in the muslin lining of the cell basket, by gathering together the corners of the muslin to form a bag. After the entrained electrolyte has been allowed to drain, the bags are charged five a t a time into a 20-in. rubber-lined centrifuge of the supported type, where they are washed with hot water. After drying in the centrifuge, the slimes are scraped from the bags into a steel box and transferred to the platinum-metals department.

FIG.~.-~ALT~ACH-THUMPARTING CELLS,

PLANT.

A typical analysis of the washed slimes is: Au, 22.68 per cent; Ag, 32.99; P t metals, 23.80; Cu, 1.75. Treatment is carried out on the batch system and a normal charge to the dissolver is as follows: slimes, 54 kg.; muriatic acid, 113 liters; nitric acid, 4.5 liters. In order to avoid an excess of nitric acid, which would prevent complete precipitation of the gold, great care must be exercised in the addition of slimes and acids. Half the muriatic acid is run into the dissolver and heated to 60' C. by careful injection of low-pressure steam. Slimes are then added slowly in small amounts, to avoid too violent a reaction. The solution is stirred with a wooden paddle a.fter each addition. Because there are sufficient nitrates in the slimes, no nitric

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acid is required at this stage. When no reaction occurs on the addition of a small amount of slimes, half the remaining muriatic acid is added and the temperature increased to 85" C. Nitric acid is then added in small amounts (150 to 200 C.C. at a time) and the solution is stirred after each addition. This is continued until all reaction ceases. The remainder of the muriatic acid is t k n added. The temperature is checked and if found low it is brought up to 85' C. again by injecting steam. The charging of slimes is continued until complete, and nitric acid is added in the same manner as before until all reaction ceases.

FIG.8.-FLOWSHEET FOR

TREATMENT O F SLIMES.

An average batch requires approximately 3 hr. for dissolving. The charge is then stirred every hr. for a period of 5 hr., during which time the temperature is maintained at 85" C. This method of digesting is effective in dissolving practically all the gold, platinum and palladium, and precipitating the silver as silver chloride. The charge is allowed to settle and cool for 16 hr. and is then filtered. The silver chloride residue is thoroughly washed with hot water, and, after roasting with sulphuric acid, the converted silver sulphate is charged into the dore furnace. The clear filtered solution is elevated to the precipitating kettles and after the acidity has been adjusted to 65 grams per liter HCl, the solution is diluted with water until a specific gravity of 1.140 is obtained. Temperature is brought up to 40' C. and saturated

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RECOVERY O F GOLD FROM BALBACH-THUM SLIMES

ferrous chloride solution is run in with constant stirring until all the gold is thrown down. When the end point is reached-this is indicated by a change in the color of the solution from brown to black-a slight excess of ferrous chloride is added, and after vigorous stirring the charge is allowed to stand for 18 hours. After testing for complete precipitation of the gold, the charge is filtered. The precipitated gold, being fairly granular, is readily filtered and washed. I t is then charged into a No. 20 graphite crucible, melted and cast into anodes. The anodes assay approximately 995 fine. The electrolysis in the Wohlwill cell takes about 20 hr. and no attempt is made to secure a smooth deposit. Anode scrap is about 20 per cent. Cathodes that weigh 35 to 50 troy ounces are melted in a graphite crucible and cast into 500-02;. bars. The average fineness is 999.8+. The clear gold-free solution, plus wash water, is charged into the cementation tanks and the platinum metals are thrown down with scrap hoop iron. Complete cementation requires 16 hr. The residue is filtered off on a suction filter, washed with hot water and then with dilute muriatic acid, to remove basic iron salts, and finally with a dilute sodium carbonate solution, to neutralize any free acid that may be present. The washed platinum-metals concentrate is dried in Pyrex dishes for 20 hr., then ground in a ball mill, to pass 120 mesh. After sampling, the concentrate is packed in steel drums for shipment to the preciousmetals refinery a t Acton, England. As shipped, the finished concentrate contains approximately 80 per cent platinum metals. The solution from the cementing process is practically saturated with ferrous chloride but may contain traces of silver, gold and the platinum metals. The excess over that required for precipitation of gold in the next batch is evaporated in cast copper kettles, which are set in an oil bath heated with steam coils. The crystallized ferrous chloride is charged into the anode furnace for recovery of the precious metals; a representative analysis of the crystallized salts is: Ag, 0.63 oz. per ton; Au, 0.009; Pt, 0.18; Pd, 0.40. The writer wishes to acknowledge assistance rendered in preparing this paper by R. H. Waddington, assistant plant manager, and H. A. MacDougall, in charge of technical control, Ontario Refining Co., Copper Cliff, Ontario.