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Direct cyanidation and roasting combination of a semi-refractory massive sulfide ore

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Abstract

In this study, cyanidation experiments were carried out on a massive sulfide ore sample, whose grades of the precious metals gold and silver were found to be 4.2 g/t and 311.9 g/t, respectively. Other elements in the ore were arsenic with average grade of 1,751.6g/t; antimony, 619.7 g/t; zinc, 781.4 g/t; copper, 454.6 g/t; lead, 101.8 g/t; mercury, 324.3 g/t; and bismuth, 0.6 g/t. The first objective of test workfocused on determining the best conditions for extracting goldfrom the ore, ground to less than 75 microns. Different influential parameters such as particle size fraction, cyanide concentration, pH and leaching time were investigated. The optimum parameters were found to be particle size fraction of less than 25 microns, cyanide concentration of 2,000 mg/L, pH of 11 and cyanidation time of 24 hours. In these optimum conditions, the highest gold and silver leaching efficiencies were 76.88 and 59.63 percent, respectively. In addition, roasting as pretreatment at a temperature of 700°C over a period of two hours was evaluated. Cyanidation testing of the roasted ore in the optimum conditions found increases in the gold and silver leaching efficiencies to 85.97 and 67.57 percent, respectively. Moreover, antimony extraction rose to 43.10 percent, from 23.73 percent without roasting.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Mining, College of Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

    H. Abdollahi (Assistant professor, advisor, research engineer)

  2. Mineral Processing Division, Geological Survey and Exploration of Iran, Iran

    H. Abdollahi (Assistant professor, advisor, research engineer)

  3. Mineral-Metal Recovery and Recycling (MMR&R) Research Group, Mineral Processing Division, Department of Mining Engineering, Suleyman Demirel University, Isparta, Turkey

    H. Abdollahi (Assistant professor, advisor, research engineer) & A. Akcil (Professor)

  4. Mining Department, Tarbiat Modarres University, Tehran, Iran

    P. Karimi Ph.D. candidate in Mineral Processing

  5. Mineral Processing Division, Geological Survey and Exploration of Iran, Iran

    A. Amini Head (manager)

Authors
  1. H. Abdollahi
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  2. P. Karimi Ph.D. candidate in Mineral Processing
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  3. A. Amini Head (manager)
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  4. A. Akcil
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to A. Akcil.

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Paper number MMP-13-094.

Discussion of this peer-reviewed and approved paper is invited and must be submitted to SME Publications Dept. prior to Feb. 29, 2015.

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Abdollahi, H., Karimi, P., Amini, A. et al. Direct cyanidation and roasting combination of a semi-refractory massive sulfide ore. Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration 32, 161–169 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03402284

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03402284

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