Proceedings of the National Seminar of Chemical Engineering "Kejuangan" ISSN 1693-4393

Development of Chemical Technology for Processing of Natural Resources Indonesia

Yogyakarta, 17Maret 2016

Cyanide Adsorption Studies of Gold Tailings Processing

method Resin-In-Pulp

Latitude ninik EW *, Cut Shafira, Palguno Helyoso

D-IV Studies Program Cleaner Production of Chemical Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering, Polytechnic of Bandung,
D-III Study Program of Chemical Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering, Polytechnic of Bandung,
Gegerkalong Jalan Hilir, Ds Ciwaruga, Bandung

* E-mail : niniklintang@yahoo.com

Abstract

Cyanidation is an efficient and inexpensive process extracting gold from ore, allowing recovery of gold from low-grade ore Carried out
economically. The disadvantage of cyanidation process is the generation of highly toxic cyanide-containing tailings. Such tailings need to
be treated prior to disposal, in order to comply with environmental requirements. There are two methods to Overcome cyanide-containing
tailings , By recycling and recovery. cyanide recovery will Eliminate the cost and a cyanide destruction will reduce purchasing cost of fresh
cyanide. Cyanide adsorption (as part of Hannah Process) has been studied using batch adsorption

techniques, to examine the contact time, adsorbent dose, and maximum adsorption capacity of Lewatit U-SO 4
resin for cyanide removal. Results revealed that the adsorption rate Initially Increased rapidly, and the optimum removal efficiency was
Reached within two hours. Further increase is in contact time did not show a significant change in the equilibrium concentration; that means,
the adsorption has Reached equilibrium. The adsorption isotherms could be fitted well by the Langmuir models. The R L value in the
investigation was less than one, indicating that the adsorption of cyanide onto the resin is favorable. The resin optimum dose was 44 g / L
and the maximum capacity was20 mg CN / g resin, equivalent to 0.846eq / L resin.

Keywords: Adsorption, cyanide, resins, cyanide recovery, Hannah Process

preliminary

The gold-silver extraction from ore using cyanide has been applied since 1887, as very economical and provides acquisition of gold-silver
maximum, either for the extraction of low gold grade ores or ore refractory ( Logsdon et al, 1999). In the process of cyanidation, gold ore is
contacted with cyanide solution with a concentration of 100 to 500 ppm, so that the gold-silver complex compound formed with cyanide.

Waste generated from cyanidation process is tailings, that is slurry of particles of rock / ore size of 200 mesh with a solids content of about 40%,
and containing cyanide with a concentration of about 300 ppm. Cyanide is a highly toxic compound, brief exposure to cyanide in humans can cause
health problems, such as tremors and other neurological effects, while exposure to the long term can lead to weight loss, thyroid and nervous
system damage.

In accordance with environmental regulations and sustainability of the operation, in general tailings bersianida treated before discharge into the
environment, with destruction of reagent (INCO process SO 2 / Degussa air or copper-catalyzed process H 2 O 2), and continued with the natural
destruction by ultraviolet light from the sun (Michael M. Botz 2001) .In cyanide, waste tailings also contains other metals that are not extracted as
copper, iron, zinc, lead (Prasetyo, Radyan 2008) yangperlu considered in the waste management ..

Cyanide contained in tailings still allows for in- recovery and can be reused, thereby reducing the cyanide consumption for leaching. There are
three methods to Me- recovery cyanide from gold ore processing, one of which is by adsorption methods Resin In Pulp, because it is not necessary pre-treatment
for separation particle padatandari larutan.Sianida is carbonnitrogen polyatomic anion (CN-), which typically forms a complex with the transition
metal compound or alkali metal ionic bonds. Cyanide compounds can be classified into four types of bonds, namely free cyanide, simple bonding
cyanide ( simple cyanide compounds), weak acid dissociable ( WAD) cyanide, and strong cyanide complex compounds ( moderately strong cyanide
complexes) ( Logsdon et al.1999).

The third method of recovery of cyanide, the SART ( Sulphidization, Acidification, Recycling and Thickening) AVR ( Acidification, Volatilization and
Reneutralization) and prosesHannah.

Chemical Engineering Program, FTI, UPN "Veteran" Yogyakarta I8 - 1

 Proceedings of the National Seminar of Chemical Engineering "Kejuangan" ISSN 1693-4393
Development of Chemical Technology for Processing of Natural Resources Indonesia
Yogyakarta, 17Maret 2016

a. SART ( Sulphidization, Acidification, Recycling and Thickening)

Developed SART process developed by SGS Lakefield and Teckcominco Corporation to handle a solution containing WAD compounds
(especially copper cyanide, zinc, and nickel cyanide). During sulfidation and acidification, a cyanide solution is added to the sulfide ions and sulfuric
acid to produce a pH of 4 to 5, and the metals precipitate in solution as sulphide concentrate (eg, Cu 2 S or ZnS), economic value, while the cyanide
in solution into the gas HCN. SART process corresponding to the processing solution with a content base metal high as WAD cyanide complex. But
the SART process produces free cyanide, then the excess solution still contains cyanide and should didestruksi before being discharged into the
environment.

b. AVR (Acidification, Volatilization and Reneutralization, Ritcey and McNamara, 1978)

At the AVR process, tailings added sulfuric acid to a pH of 6-7 to change all the free cyanide into cyanide, and then brought into contact with the
air counter-current in the column, and the gas absorbed HCN formed with a strong caustic solution in the absorber column to be converted into
cyanide ions. AVR process is a new cyanide recovery technology applied on an industrial scale by Michael Botz Elbow Creek Engineering (Botz,
2001).

c. Hannah process
Hannah process uses strong base resin to absorb cyanide compounds from tailings. The process consists of several stages of adsorption, elution,
and absorption. free cyanide and WAD will diadsorp compounds using a resin, then cyanide is released ( elution) from the resin with a solution of
concentrated acid, to produce HCN gas which is then absorbed by a solution of caustic soda (NaOH). Hannah appropriate process for dealing with a
solution containing copper cyanide, cyanide-free, other metal cyanide complexes, even anions thiocyanate. According to Nesbit (1996), with a
cyanide adsorption resins environmentally friendly because it does not produce the toxic substance between.

The research objective was to determine the optimum adsorption time, the optimum dose and the maximum capacity of the resin Lewatit resins
U SO 4 in mengadsorp cyanide.

adsorption
Adsorption is a process in which the absorption of one component (solute) from a solution (fluid) to move to the surface of solids (adsorbent).
Adsorption is divided into two types, namely physical adsorption and chemical adsorption. Physical adsorption occurs because of the Van der Waals
forces, where the force of attraction between the solute component with an adsorbent component is greater than the component of the solute with
the solvent. While the chemical adsorption occurs due to a chemical reaction between the solute with an adsorbent. According to Atkins (1999)
chemical adsorption process begins with physical adsorption, solute dimanakomponen closer to the surface of the adsorbent for their style of Van
Der Waals or hydrogen bonds. Solute component bound to the surface of the adsorbent and forming chemical bonds (covalent bonds in general) to
maximize the capacity of the room / porous adsorbent. 4 a chemical adsorption, with the reaction:

R-SO 4 + MCN •• R (CN) 2+ M 2 SO 4 (1)

Adsorption performance is influenced by the particle size of the adsorbent, pengadukanuntuk speed increase contact between the adsorbent with a
solute, temperature and operating pressure.
In the physical adsorption of adsorbate molecules can be released from the surface of the adsorbent unchanged at low pressure or temperature
higher than the adsorption conditions. While the release of the chemical adsorption adsorbate much more difficult. In the physical adsorption of
molecules formed adsorbat double layer (multi-molecular layers), and took place very quickly (intantaneous), while the chemical adsorption always
formed a single layer, and typically require activation energy.

Research methods

Materials used are tailings the form slurry with a solids content of about 35%, the cyanide content of 100, 200 and 300 ppm, resin Lewatit U-SO 4, ( the
average grain size of 0.85 (+/- 0.05) in mm; kapasitastotal 1.0 eq / L; densitas1.1 g / mL), a solution of AgNO 3 ( 100 ppm) as titrant for the analysis of
cyanide levels, indicators rhodamine 0.002% and the standard solution base metal ( Ag, Cu and Zn).

Equipment for adsorption experiments was beaker 1 L, flokulator, measuring cups 1 L, 100 mL beakers, analytical balance, petri dishes, funnels,
Erlenmeyer flask, burette, Spectrophotometer ( AAS).
Feed (750 ml) with particular cyanide levels (100, 200.300 ppm) were introduced into a beaker, then each
each added resin with a certain dose (22 gpl; 27.5 gpl; 38.5 gpl and 44 gpl). After the mixture was stirred

Chemical Engineering Program, FTI, UPN "Veteran" Yogyakarta I8 - 2

 Proceedings of the National Seminar of Chemical Engineering "Kejuangan" ISSN 1693-4393
Development of Chemical Technology for Processing of Natural Resources Indonesia
Yogyakarta, 17Maret 2016

by flokulator with a rotation speed of 200 rpm for a specific adsorption (1, 2, 4, 8 hours). After adsorption was completed, filtration, and the filtrate
was analyzed and the content of the cyanide content base metal ( Ag, Cu and Zn). To get the maximum capacity of the resin is done by using a high
concentration of cyanide solution (900 ppm) without solid. Briefly stage trial presented at the G amber 1 '

Determining the optimum time

Determining the optimum dosage resin Determination of the maximum capacity of the resin

NaCN Resin (22 slurryN NaCN Resin 22-44 gpl NaCN 900 Resin: 0; 5; 10; 20; 40 gpl
slurry gpl) ppm

Adsorption batch N = Adsorption batch N = Adsorption batch N =

200 rpm 200 rpm The optimum 200 rpm t = 8
t = 1,2,4,8 hours time hours

filtration filtration filtration

residue
residue residue
filtrate filtrate
filtrate

Analysis Analysis Analysis of the levels of

kadarCN & base kadarCN & base CN and base mtl

metal memetal
metal

time of adsorption The optimum The maximum

optimum dosage resin capacity of the

resin

Figure 1. Trial stages

Results and Discussion

time of adsorption
Bait ( tailings) with a solids content of 34%, the concentration of the initial CN 340 ppm, Cu content of 7.94 ppm, 4.44 ppm Ag, and Zn 26 ppm, is
contacted with the resin with stirring speed 200 rpm, giving the results of adsorption as shown in Figure 2.

100

80

60
Cu
percent Adsorption

Zn
40
Ag
20
CN

0
0 5 10 15 20 25

Time, hours

Figure 2. Effect of Percent Adsorption Against Time

At the time of the adsorption of up to two hours per cent increase in cyanide adsorption is significant, but after more than two hours of increase
slowed down, and on the hour to 24 is almost constant, which means it's a balance. for adsorption base metal, at the time of adsorption of one hour
per cent direct adsorption reached equilibrium in the first two hours, because of the concentration base metal in the feed is very low.

dose Resin
To study the effect of dose on the level of adsorption resins performed at different contact time, ie one and two hours, and is presented in
Figure 3.

Chemical Engineering Program, FTI, UPN "Veteran" Yogyakarta I8 - 3

 Proceedings of the National Seminar of Chemical Engineering "Kejuangan" ISSN 1693-4393
Development of Chemical Technology for Processing of Natural Resources Indonesia
Yogyakarta, 17Maret 2016

100

80

Adsorption percent CN
60

40

20

0 10 20 30 40 50

Resin Dose (g / L)

1 hour 2 hours

Figure 3 Dose Effect of Resin Against PersenAdsorpsi

Effect of dose on the percent resin adsorption of cyanide showed that when different adsorption resins increased doses increase the percent
adsorption of cyanide with a tendency ( trend) the same, and at a dose of 44 g / L of adsorption almost reached equilibrium (percent adsorption of
83.3%).
To study the performance of a cyanide adsorption resin solution with varying doses (0, 10, 20 and 40 g / L) was done with cyanide solution with
initial concentration of 900 ppm (without solids / tailings) and is presented in Figure 4.

100

80
without resin
percent Adsorption

60 resin 10 gpl

resin 20 gpl
40

resin 40 gpl
20

0 5 10

Time, (h)

Figure 4. At the dose level Cyanide Adsorption Resin Varies

In experiments with blank solution (a cyanide solution without resin), was a decrease in the levels of cyanide from time to time, this is caused by
the evaporation of cyanide. At a dose of resin 10, 20 and 40 g / L per cent significant adsorption on contact time of two hours (35%, 61.7% and
81.7%), further improvement adsorption time up to 8 hours provide increased percent adsorption linearly but not significant. In the resin dose of 40 g
/ L effect on the percent adsorption time significantly by hours to two, with high effectiveness, and on the hour to the eight already close to balance

Theoretically increasing doses of resin will increase the surface area of ​contact between the adsorbent with a solution, so that the percent of
adsorption increased by an increase in the surface area of ​contact. But the increase in percent of adsorption is not linear with increasing doses of
resin, this is evidenced in the other adsorption studies (Das et al,
2015).
, Because at the time of adsorption two-hour difference between the dose level of adsorption resins which berbedacukup significant, then the adsorption
isotherm analysis and capacity of the resin is based on the contact time of 2 hours.

Adsorption isotherms
The results of adsorption experiments cyanide in the resin at room temperature are correlated with Langmuir models

C e / Q e = { 1 / (Q 0 b)} + C e / Q 0 (2)

Chemical Engineering Program, FTI, UPN "Veteran" Yogyakarta I8 - 4

 Proceedings of the National Seminar of Chemical Engineering "Kejuangan" ISSN 1693-4393
Development of Chemical Technology for Processing of Natural Resources Indonesia
Yogyakarta, 17Maret 2016

where C e is the concentration of cyanide in solution at equilibrium (mg / L), Q e is cyanide adsorbed per gram of adsorbent at equilibrium (mg / g), Q 0 and
b is the Langmuir constants for capacity and energy of adsorption. The relationship between C e / Q e to C e shown in Figure 5.

20

Ce / Qe (g R / L)
15
y = 0.0505x + 4.3343
10 R ² = 0.987

0 50 100 150 200 250 300

Ce (CN mg / L)

Figure 5 Adsorption Langmuir isotherm

Langmuir adsorption isotherm curve is a straight line (linear) with R 2 = 0.987, indicating the enforceability
Langmuir isotherm model of the system, and also indicates the formation of a single layer on the surface of the adsorbent. Q value 0 and b (Langmuir
constants) obtained from the slope and curve intercep. The slope of the curve (1 / Q 0) is 0.05; then the capacity of the resin is 20 mg CN / g resin, or
the equivalent of 0.846 eq / L. Rated capacity of the resin is ideal compared to the characteristics of the resin Lewatit U-SO 4 , ie 1.0 eq / L. Further
analysis of the Langmuir equation can be done on the basis of the balance of dimensionless parameter R L, otherwise known as the separation factor,
according to the equation 3.

R L = 1 / (1 + bC i) (3)

If the value of R L between 0 and 1 then the ideal adsorption ( favorable), if R L greater than 1 then the less favorable adsorption ( unfavorable). Rated
R L the research is mengindikasikanbahwa 0154 cyanide adsorption on the resin follows the model of Langmuir isotherm.

Conclusion

From the study of adsorption of cyanide from tailings with resin Lewatit U-SO 4 it can be concluded that the percent of adsorption increases
initially and reaches the optimum at 2 hours. Adsorption isotherm according denganmodel
Langmuir, with value R L 0.154 ( less than one), which mengindikasikanbahwa cyanide adsorption on the resin is quite good. Dosage The optimum resin 44 g /
L and the maximum capacity of the resin 20 mg CN / g resin or equivalent to 0,846eq / L.

Bibliography

Botz, MM, " Overview of Cyanide Treatment Methods', Mining Environmental Management, Mining Journal Ltd.,
London, UK, pp. 28-30, May 2001. Das, Radharani et al, 2015 Utilization of Fly Ash as Low Cost Adsorbent for the Treatment of Textile Dying
Industry
Effluents: Kinetics and isotherms, International Journal of Emerging Technology and Advanced Engineering Website: www.ijetae.com (ISSN
2250-2459, ISO 9001: 2008 Certified Journal, Volume 5, Issue 2, February
2015)
Fleming, Chris, 2010, Cyanide Management in the gold industry Increasingly onerous restrictions are forcing the
sector to better manage the use and disposal of cyanide, Mining Environmental Management Logsdon, MJ et al. 1999 The Management Of
Cyanide In Gold Extraction ,. International Council On Metals And
The Environment, Ontario Prasetyo, Radyan 2008, Gold Mining Waste Utilization Study (Case Study: Pemanaatan Tailings in

PT Antam UBPE Pongkor)

PW Atkins. 1999. Chemical Physics. Jakarta. Erland SGS Group Management SA. 2013. Hannah Process. USA. SGS Lakefield. SGS Société
Générale de Surveillance SA. 2013. Cyanide Recovery. USA. SGS Lakefield. Strangfeld, Vinzenz Klaus. 2000. The Recovery of Metal cyanides by
Ion Exchange Resins. Cape Peninsula

University of Technology.

Chemical Engineering Program, FTI, UPN "Veteran" Yogyakarta I8 - 5

 Proceedings of the National Seminar of Chemical Engineering "Kejuangan" ISSN 1693-4393
Development of Chemical Technology for Processing of Natural Resources Indonesia
Yogyakarta, 17Maret 2016

Sheet FAQ
Moderator: Yuliusman (University of Indonesia, Depok) Minutes
: Susanti Rina (UPN " Veteran " Yogyakarta)

1. questioner : Satriyo (UPN)

Question Why at time 0 - 2 hours adsorption occurs very quickly?

answer : Activity groups are still good (active) whereas at the time above the surface
group many have reacted so adsorption down.

2. questioner : Yuliusman (UI)

Question How resin treatment after the process?

answer : Resin recycled

Chemical Engineering Program, FTI, UPN "Veteran" Yogyakarta I8 - 6