Advances in Gold Process Recovery From Complex Ores

MINING MAGAZINE CONGRESS 2010
Advances in Gold Process Recovery From Complex Ores

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Presented by Dean Mitchell, Senior Metallurgist Mineral Engineering Technical Services Pty Ltd 2010
> Mineral Processing > Engineering Design > Specialist Services > TECHNOLOGY > Simulation & Optimisation > Project Management > Risk Management > Training > RESOURCE PROJECTS > INTEGRATED SERVICES
Who We Are
Mineral Engineering Technical Services > 22 years in Mineral Processing

> Global & Local Experience > Consulting > Studies
> Detailed Design

> Due Diligence, Ni, U, Pb-Zn, Au, Cu, Fe, Al > Laboratory Testwork
Introduction
> Mineralogy
> CIP was a quantum leap in technology- now mature

> Gravity gold advances > Leaching advances > Stripping advances > Electrowinning advances > General discussion
Gold Can Be Free Milling & Refractory
Gold & Silver Ores
Complex & Refractory Gold Ores

> Ores which give poor recoveries when treated with conventional methods
>
>
Complex sulphide ores

Causes of refractory ores
Fine gold in sulphides Insoluble gold compounds Coating on the gold Preg-robbing gangue minerals Cyanide and oxygen consumers Deleterious elements Cu, Sb, As etc
Mineralogy Click to edit Master title style
Gold Can Be Difficult & Complex

> These are at ppm levels > Free milling oxide ores straight forward > MLA (Qemscan) may tell you if the gold is associated with say pyrite or arsenopyrite
> MLA will describe the minerals and liberation has a problem with low levels of gold
> Concentration of the sample assists optical assessment. SEM. would be necessary to describe the gold in the mineral
QEMSCAN Or MLA & SEM
Samples
> > > > > > > > > >
Geometallurgy Drill core not RC chips Sample all ore >10% Include mine waste 10%? Geology- recognise ore domains Mineralogy Processing Economics Risk management Metallurgical mapping
Flowsheet Selection
Flowsheet Selection
> > > > > > > > > > > Free milling gold ores- oxide & sulphide- gravity recovery Transition ores Complex ores- cyanide, oxygen consuming or preg robbing Refractory- slightly or highly- roast, bacterial, POX, UFG Ore variability, nature of the gangue Comminution circuits Gravity Flotation Leaching Adsorption Stripping
Gravity Gold Recovery
Advantages Of Gravity
> Faster cash flow > Higher overall recovery > Lower unit cost > Reduced CIP feed grade > Improved leach kinetics > Reduced carbon loading > Reduced locked-up gold in circuit > Reduced cyanide consumption > Environmentally-friendly
> The late Andre Laplante used the term-recovery effort
Shaking Table Mechanics

> >
>
Minerals are subjected to two forces Table motion:

Moves the particles across the table Moves the particles down the table Effect depends upon the size and density of the particles
Fluid flow :
> >
The net result is particles move diagonally across the deck But also fan out along the table
FEED
ater Wash W
Dense Material
VIBRATION
Riffles
Light Material Middlings
Gravity Gold Equipment

> Knelson Concentrator-CD,MD,XD models
First concentrator 50 g to 200 g Spinning bowl, VG package Requires fluidising water Batch or semi batch Riffled cone, motor, perforated bowl
>
BCC-Batch centrifugal concentratorsyields 0.05%

CGR-Continuous gravity concentrators10% -20% yield
> Revolutionised fine gold recovery
>
>
Falcon Concentrator-C,SB,UF models

C-300 g, UF 650 g Spinning bowl SB most common Cyclone feed application
Gravity Gold Equipment (cont)

> Kelsey Jig
Cylindrical spinning jig using ragging Less commonly used for gold
> Inline Pressure Jig (IPJ)

Low water consumption Very good coarse gold Stroke can be varied
Gravity Gold Equipment (cont)

> Multi-Helix Spiral
> Low-G Horizontal Centrifuge

Effectively shaking tables wrapped around a cylinder Use is not widespread
> Equipment selection depends on the results required-IPJ coarse gold, Falcon/Knelson for fine gold
AMIRA P420 Project

> Model for predicting gravity gold recovery
> More suited to optimising recovery for Brownfields projects

> Requires 3 stage GRG test > Parker Centre has an extensive data base
Piloting Gravity Circuits
> Rare for Greenfields projects
> Very costly and difficult to justify

> More common for Brownfields projects
CAPEX
> Gravity concentrator circuit
Approximately AU$1 million based on a 1.2 Mtpa gold project For larger plants the cost is higher
> Intensive leaching

Between approximately AU$600,000 to AU$900,000
> The economic justification current cut point for most projects is 20% gravity gold recovery
OPEX
> Centifugal concentrators have operating costs between $0.08 to $0.12 per tonne of new feed
> Costs include:

Power Water Spares Maintenance
Process Risks & Problems

> Testwork not based on representative samples
Mt McClure Resolute, Southern Cross Bronzewing, Granites
> > > > >
Presence of galena and tramp iron for tabling Poor planning and/or execution of the testwork Poor interpretation of the results Insufficient bleed of re-circulating load Incompatible feed
Too coarse Too dense Too many flakes
Trends With Gravity Gold

> Transition from batch to continuous operation > Gradual replacement of inefficient equipment > Increased capacities all machines > Increased mass recovery from <1% to >10% > Recovering gold as a by-product > Use of intensive leaching to process concentrates
Examples Of Installations
> IPJs at Ballarat Goldfields
>300 installed worldwide
> IPJs at Pirquitas mine Argentina

> Kelsey Jigs, Barrick Granny Smith, WA
2 by J1800 jigs
IPJs at Ballarat Goldfields
KnelsonXD70 at Paracuta, Brazil
Gekko IPJ Pirquitas mine, Argentina
Examples Of Installations (cont)

> Falcons-Sadiola, Mali
2 by SB 5200-6.9 &14.8 increase recovery on oxide and sulphide ore
> Falcons-Telfer, WA
8 by SB5200
> Falcons-Kansanshi Copper, Zambia

4 by SB5200
> Falcons-Sekisovskoye, Kazakhstan

1 by C2000 Overall increase 5% recovery
Example Installations
> Knelson XD70 at Paracuta mine Brazil
> Knelson- Kinross, Alaska

1 by XD 70 1 by CS6000 Acacia reactor
> Knelson-Vasgok, Kazakhstan

2 by XD70
Intensive Leaching
Flowsheet Acacia Reactor
In Line Leach Reactor
Developments
> Continuous ILR > Automation
> Modular Supply
Cyanide Leaching
Cyanide Leaching
Sodium cyanide: - used for leaching gold and silver from their ores:
2 Au 4 NaCN O2 2H 2O 2 NaAu (CN ) 2 2 NaOH H 2O2

Preg Robbing- kerosene passivation Lead Nitrate, Oxygen Sparging to maximise kinetics
Oxygen Sparging
IsaMill for Fine Grinding Fine Gold
Cyanide Soluble Copper & Nickel
pH-Potential Diagram for the copper-cyanide-water system

2.0
Cu2+ CuO
1.0
CuO22-
Cu2O Cu(CN)320.0
Cu(CN)2-
Eh
Cu
-1.0
Cu2O
[Cu] = 10-4 M [CN] = 10-3 M

-2.0 0.0 4.0 8.0 pH 12.0 16.0
Other Advances
> CIL not CIP > Silver ores > Complex sulphides > Kemix screens > Pump cells > Cyanide DETOX
Bacteria Leaching
> Common bacteria Thiooxidans Ferrooxidans
> Bioleaching performed on: Gold/Copper
Zinc Uranium Nickel Cobalt
> Bioleaching oxidises the metal and dissolves it into the solution
BacTech / Mintek
> This involves bio-leaching of secondary sulphides with mesophiles at 36-40C, and moderate and extreme thermophiles for chalcopyrite at 45-40C and 70C respectively
> Ultra-fine grinding assists greatly with the process

> The process usually occurs in a slightly acidic environment > The BacTech process has been applied to a 500 kg/day plant in Mexico
POX Gold Sulphide Concentrates

> Chemistry ok, fast kinetics, recovery 96%+
> Stable waste productsarsenates

> Materials of construction problematic > Operability- difficult > History- poor
> Future- very promising
Albion
> Developed by MIM (now XSTRATA) Requires ISAMILL fine grinding Atmospheric leach conditions- no pressure- 70C High recoveries +95% Pilot plant Brisbane
>
>
>
>
Intec Gold Process
>
Leach without Cyanide?
Resin Adsorption
Ion Exchange
Advantages/Disadvantages Of Resins
> Advantages
Not poisoned by organics no thermal regeneration Unaffected by clay ores Do not absorb calcium reduced acid washing requirements Improve recovery in the presence of preg-robbing ores High selectivity resins offer advantages with Cu/Au ores High loading capacity (100,000 g/t) and faster loading kinetics Better abrasion resistance (5 g/t) Reduced capital costs for small to medium operations
> Disadvantages
Smaller particle size 0.8-1.2 mm screening more difficult Strong base resins less selective for gold over base metals compared with activated carbon Resin is approximately ten times more expensive than carbon ($30,000/t) Database of experience is limited
Penjom Gold Project
Stripping Or Elution
Elution AARL, Zadra
> Elution is a reverse process to adsorption > Gold can be stripped off by disruption of thermodynamic equilibrium between gold in solution and gold on the carbon > Equilibrium Disruptive features: High temperatures Lack of cations (Ca2+ , Mg2+, etc) High anion concentration (CN-, OH-)
Integrated Pressure Stripping (IPS)
> IPS involves

Acid washing Stripping Electrolysis
IPS
> Advantages
Water quality is not a limitation Higher temperatures
Faster More efficient than pressure Zadra
The same capital cost but lower operating cost over time A reduced need for reactivation A safer operation as no cyanide is used
Electrowinning
Electrochemical Series
Electrowinning
> Self sludging cells > Stainless steel wool > Wash gold from wool using HP water > Faster cashflow- smelt same day
EMEW Cell
> Cell efficiency drops with solution tenor > Pre concentration would make these applicable > Could be used for ILR pregnant solution > Resin EMEW combination would have significant advantages
EMEW Results - Ag Solutions
New Uses of Old Technology Click to edit Master title style
Cost/Revenue
> Silver price US$16.61/ounce

> Gold price US$1093/ounce (26th March 2010) > The refining charge is US$ 0.64/oz for both gold and silver. > Once Ag:Au ratio >10:1 Merrill Crowe preferable > Silver ores >50 g/t Ag, Merrill Crowe preferable > Elution of silver not cost effective - $800-$1000/tonne to strip carbon
Leaching Characteristics
> Mineralogy dependent (Ag, Ag2S, etc) > High cyanide
> High DO
> Long leach times
> Chemical reaction:

4Au (s ) + 8NaCN (aq ) + O 2(g ) + 2H 2 O 4NaAu(CN) 2(aq ) + 4NaOH(aq )
4Ag(s ) + 8NaCN (aq ) + O 2(g ) + 2H 2 O 4NaAg(CN) 2(aq ) + 4NaOH(aq )
Leach Kinetics
Relative Kinetics Difference Silver Minerals
Lead Nitrate Potential Benefits

> Lead nitrate addition is a function of the mineralogical composition of the ore:
Removal of sulphide ions from solution by precipitation as lead sulphide, thus:
Minimising the possibility of sulphide film formation on gold and silver surface The formation of thiocyanates in the subsequent of cyanidation stage
Improved passivation of reactive mineral surfaces due to the deposition of insoluble lead hydroxide precipitate
2S 2 2CN O2 H 2O CNS 2OH

Disruption of films or coatings on the gold or silver surface prior to cyanidation
Pb 2 2OH Pb(OH ) 2
Adsorption Character
EQUILIBRIUM RELATIONSHIP Gold on Carbon Vs. Gold in Solution
> Fleming k lower
100000
> More stages

> Higher carbon inventory > Load capacity Au +Ag
Gold on Carbon g/t
10000
1000
100
10 Equilibrium Actual CIP
1 0 0.003 0.03 0.3 3 10
Gold in Solution mg/l
Stripping Character
> Lower temperature for optimum silver > Silver complex less stable form metallic silver > Silver comes off first > Longer stripping times
Electrowon Silver Profile
Process Plants
> Waihi NZ-high silver CIP plant > Mt Muro-mixed CIP and Merrill Crowe
> Toka Tindung-CIP plant

> Kelian-CIP plant > Misima-CIP plant > Medusa-CIP plant > Casposo-Merrill Crowe plant
Merril Crowe-Unit Operations

> Cyanide leaching
> CCD solid liquid separation > Clarification of pregnant solution > De aeration of clarified solution > Precipitation using zinc and Pb(NO3)2 > Filtration of precipitate, aciding > Smelting of precious metals
Merrill Crowe Limitations

> Water balance > Effective settling rates and clear overflows. > Clarified liquor required - <1 ppm solids > De aeration of solutions - <1 ppm O2 > pH, CN concentration, DO, scale formation > Solution bleed (build up of zinc) > Reactive sulphides > Cementation - 0.33 g Zn/g Au
Water Quality & Mass Balances

> Gravity circuits use large volumes of water and usually they require good quality water
> Reverse Osmosis
> Vacuum Distillation
Conclusions
> Mineralogy is critical - variable
> Low ratio Ag/Au ores best treated using CIP/CIL > When ratio >10:1 Merrill Crowe is superior > Merrill Crowe is more capital intensive and water balance issues are a constraint
> Gravity processes not as efficient for silver ores

> Leaching silver ores requires higher cyanide, higher oxygen and longer leach times, resulting in lower silver recoveries > Silver increases the carbon inventory, reducing k values
Gravity Circuit Conclusions

> Mineralogy drives the process > Gold price record > Advantages of gravity recovery > Equipment selection
> Sample selection, representivity

> GRG prediction > Qemscan-Nugget effect > Centrifugal concentrators are revolution > Water balance issues > Cyclone feed rather than underflow
> Sizing equipment

> CAPEX, OPEX > Process risks, problems > Examples
Conclusions
> Silver strips first at a lower temperature during elution
> Electrowinning times are lengthened because of silver

> RIP may offer advantages in the future > EMEW cell or in combination with a smaller Merrill Crowe is likely in the future
THANK YOU
Download this presentation at
www.mets.net.au

Advances in Gold Process Recovery From Complex Ores - MINING MAGAZINE CONGRESS 2010

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MINING MAGAZINE CONGRESS 2010

Mineral Engineering Technical Services > 22 years in Mineral Processing

> Detailed Design

> CIP was a quantum leap in technology- now mature

Gold Can Be Free Milling & Refractory

Gold & Silver Ores

Complex & Refractory Gold Ores

Complex sulphide ores

Mineralogy Click to edit Master title style

Gold Can Be Difficult & Complex

QEMSCAN Or MLA & SEM

Click to edit Master title style

Gravity Gold Recovery

Click to edit Master title style

> The late Andre Laplante used the term-recovery effort

Shaking Table Mechanics

Minerals are subjected to two forces Table motion:

Light Material Middlings

Gravity Gold Equipment

BCC-Batch centrifugal concentratorsyields 0.05%

Falcon Concentrator-C,SB,UF models

Gravity Gold Equipment (cont)

> Inline Pressure Jig (IPJ)

Gravity Gold Equipment (cont)

> Low-G Horizontal Centrifuge

AMIRA P420 Project

> More suited to optimising recovery for Brownfields projects

Piloting Gravity Circuits

> Rare for Greenfields projects

> Very costly and difficult to justify

> Intensive leaching

> Costs include:

Process Risks & Problems

> > > > >

Trends With Gravity Gold

> IPJs at Pirquitas mine Argentina

IPJs at Ballarat Goldfields

KnelsonXD70 at Paracuta, Brazil

Gekko IPJ Pirquitas mine, Argentina

Examples Of Installations (cont)

> Falcons-Kansanshi Copper, Zambia

> Falcons-Sekisovskoye, Kazakhstan

> Knelson- Kinross, Alaska

> Knelson-Vasgok, Kazakhstan

Click to edit Master title style

Flowsheet Acacia Reactor

In Line Leach Reactor

> Continuous ILR > Automation

> Modular Supply

Click to edit Master title style

2 Au 4 NaCN O2 2H 2O 2 NaAu (CN ) 2 2 NaOH H 2O2

IsaMill for Fine Grinding Fine Gold

Cyanide Soluble Copper & Nickel

pH-Potential Diagram for the copper-cyanide-water system

[Cu] = 10-4 M [CN] = 10-3 M

> Bioleaching performed on: Gold/Copper

Zinc Uranium Nickel Cobalt

> Ultra-fine grinding assists greatly with the process

POX Gold Sulphide Concentrates

> Stable waste productsarsenates

> Future- very promising

Intec Gold Process

Leach without Cyanide?