Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Chemical characterization and quantification of metallic gold from copper tailings in the western region of Mexico

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
MRS Advances Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The gold content in a tailing product of the leaching of copper ore from the western region of Michoacan, Mexico, was chemically characterized and quantitatively determined. Once the mineral sample was pulverized to a particle size D80 of − 40 μm, it was analyzed using X-ray diffraction, X-ray fluorescence, scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and flame atomic absorption spectroscopy (FAAS) with the extractant methyl isobutyl ketone. The qualitative characterization indicates the presence of aluminosilicates of sodium and potassium like that of albite (NaAlSi3O8) and zeolite (K86.5Al86.5Si105.5O38·258H2O), besides quartz (α-SiO2) and hematite (Fe1.987O3), mainly. When the digestion of the sample is complete, the result of the FAAS analysis shows gold contents of 6.33 g/ton of tailings. If the gold is occluded in the silica species and digestion is incomplete, the gold content is 4.35 g/ton of tailings. The results of the chemical characterization establish the feasibility of processing the tailings to obtain metallic gold.

Graphical abstract

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
$34.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or eBook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

Data availability

The datasets generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

References

  1. Servicio Geológico Mexicano, Yacimientos minerales en México (2017). https://www.sgm.gob.mx/Web/MuseoVirtual/Aplicaciones_geologicas/Yacimientos-minerales-en-Mexico.html. Accessed 10 Feb 2020

  2. R. Moreno, M.G. Monroy, E.P. Castañeda, Evaluación geoquímica de reiduos mineros (jales o colas) de mineralización tipo epitermal, Hidalgo, México. Rev. Geol. Am. Cent. 41, 79–98 (2009)

    Google Scholar 

  3. D. Bingöl, M. Canbazoğlu, Dissolution kinetics of malachite in sulphuric acid. Hydrometallurgy 72, 159–165 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hydromet.2003.10.002

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. M.J. Nicol, The kinetics of the dissolution of malachite in acid solutions. Hydrometallurgy 177, 214–217 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hydromet.2018.03.017

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. L.R.P. de Andrade Lima, L.A. Bernardez, L.A.D. Barbosa, Characterization and treatment of artisanal gold mine tailings. J. Hazard. Mater. 150, 747–753 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2007.05.028

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Sociedad Exploradora Minera S.A. de C.V., Carta Geológica-Minera Papatzingán E14-A44, Mich., Esc. 1:50,000, Pachuca, Hgo., México, 2721. https://www.sgm.gob.mx. Accessed July 2022

  7. J.C. Melgarejo, J.A. Proenza, S. Galí, X. Llovet, Técnicas de caracterización mineral y su aplicación en exploración y explotación minera. Bol. La Soc. Geol. Mex. 62, 1–23 (2010)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. C.G. Aragón Escoto, Correlación empírica del grado/recuperación en función del tamaño y textura del mineral de las partículas de cobre (Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, San Luis, 2018)

    Google Scholar 

  9. N.H. Bings, A. Bogaerts, J.A.C. Broekaert, Atomic spectroscopy: a review. Anal. Chem. 82, 4653–4681 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1021/ac1010469

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. B. Fernández, L. Lobo, R. Pereiro, Atomic absorpton spectrometry, in Fundamentals, Instrumentation and Capabilities. ed. by P. Worsfold, C. Poole, A. Townshend, M.B.T.-E. of A.S. (Third E. Miró) (Academic Press, Oxford, 2019), pp.137–143

    Google Scholar 

  11. The Perkin-Elmer Corporation, Analytical methods for atomic Absortion Spectroscopy (1996). https://www.perkinelmer.com/category/atomic-spectroscopy

  12. M. Moldovan, Atomic absorption spectrometry—flame, in edited by P. Worsfold, C. Poole, A. Townshend, M.B.T.-E. of A.S. (Third E. Miró), (Academic Press, Oxford, 2019), pp. 129–136. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-409547-2.00022-6

  13. P. Ghosh, H. Mandal, B. Sirisha, U. Sen, S. Goswami, N.V.R. Kiran, A modified acid digestion method for analysis of gold in geological samples: a comparative study. Mapan 34, 551–558 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12647-019-00326-8

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. S. Andò, Gravimetric separation of heavy minerals in sediments and rocks. Minerals (2020). https://doi.org/10.3390/min10030273

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. R.K. Asamoah, Specific refractory gold flotation and bio-oxidation products: research overview. Minerals (2021). https://doi.org/10.3390/min11010093

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. H.A. Ali Yaraş, Recovery of precious metals from spent Mo–Co–Ni/Al2O3 catalyst in organic acid medium: process optimization and kinetic studies. Pet. Sci. Technol. 37, 2081–2093 (2019)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. M. Al-Harahsheh, S. Kingman, C. Somerfield, F. Ababneh, Microwave-assisted total digestion of sulphide ores for multi-element analysis. Anal. Chim. Acta 638, 101–105 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aca.2009.02.030

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. C. Klein, C.S. Hurlbut, Dana. Manual de mineralogía, vol. II, 4ta edn, (Reverté, Barcelona, 2003).

  19. M. Oyarzum, Geoquímica y Metalogénesis Endógena del Oro, Revista Geológica de Chile. Andean Geol. 21, 3–10 (1984)

    Google Scholar 

  20. C. Huffman, J.D. Mensik, L.B. Riley, Determination of gold in geologic materials by solvent extraction and atomic-absorption spectrometry. Geol. Surv. (1967). https://doi.org/10.3133/cir544

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. F.K. Hisham, E.M. Randa, H.D. Mohamed, The application of flame atomic absorption spectrometry for gold determination in some of its bearing rocks. Am. J. Anal. Chem. 6, 411–421 (2015). https://doi.org/10.4236/ajac.2015.65040

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. P.V. Sunder Raju, Recent developments in the determination of gold by atomic spectrometry techniques. J. Sci. Ind. Res. 65, 65–67 (2006)

    Google Scholar 

  23. R. Aislinn Michelle Teja, J.T. Julio Cesar, P. Martín Reyes, C. Leticia Hernández, Study of the mineralogical composition of the tailings of Coscotitlán, Hidalgo, México. Charact. Miner. Met. Miner. (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-72484-3_74

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The financial supports for this work from the Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (CONACyT) of Mexico. Hugo Jhonathan Marín-García would like to thank CONACyT for the scholarship during his PhD studies through the Grant (444401).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Research in Metallurgy and Materials, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Santiago Tapia 403, Col. Centro, C.P. 58000, Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico

    Hugo J. Marín-García, Ramiro Escudero-Carcía & Diana F. Cholico-González

  2. Faculty of Chemical Pharmacobiology, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Santiago Tapia 403, Col. Centro, C.P. 58000, Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico

    Carlos Cortés-Penagos

Authors
  1. Hugo J. Marín-García
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Ramiro Escudero-Carcía
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Carlos Cortés-Penagos
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Diana F. Cholico-González
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ramiro Escudero-Carcía.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that there are no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Marín-García, H.J., Escudero-Carcía, R., Cortés-Penagos, C. et al. Chemical characterization and quantification of metallic gold from copper tailings in the western region of Mexico. MRS Advances 7, 1072–1077 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1557/s43580-022-00437-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1557/s43580-022-00437-6

Search

Navigation