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Pressure Oxidation Pretreatment of Refractory Gold

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Abstract

Pressure oxidation of gold containing concentrates and ores is an effective pretreatment for liberating refractory gold. This is particularly true when an appreciable portion of the gold is associated with sulfides and is not amenable to conventional cyanidation. A brief review of the literature on pressure oxidation of refractory gold materials is presented. The chemistry of the aqueous oxidation of arsenopyrite and pyrite is discussed. Data obtained on pressure oxidation and subsequent cyanidation of concentrates and ores tested at the Sherritt Research Centre are also presented.

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SME paper 83-646, 7th Annual Precious Metals and Uranium Seminar, Colorado section of SME-AIME Lakewood, CO, Aug. 1983. Manuscript Dec. 1983. Discussion of this paper must be submitted, in duplicate, prior to July 31, 1984.

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Berezowsky, R.M.G.S., Weir, D.R. Pressure Oxidation Pretreatment of Refractory Gold. Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration 1, 1–4 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03402544

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03402544

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