Abstract
Carbonaceous materials (CM) from ores of varying preg-robbing activity from Barrick Goldstrike Mines Inc. (BGMI), Nevada, were characterized in terms of their functional group contents, hydrocarbon contents, elemental compositions and humic acid contents. Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) analyses did not show the presence of hydrocarbons orcarboxylic, phenolic or suljhydrol functionalities. The FT-IR bands present included C=C stretching in aromatic rings and C-O-C stretching, indicating the presence of oxygen as ether linkages or thiocarbonyl functionality in the carbon matrix. Calculated atomic oxygen to carbon (O/C) ratios did not reveal a trend between the maturity of the CM and the preg-robbing behavior, possibly due to the low resolution inherent in electron microprobe analyses. However, the atomic O/C ratios agree with other chemical analyses, indicating that the organic carbon is very mature, similar to or higher than anthracite grade coal. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance analyses corroborated the relatively featureless character of the carbon, indicating that the carbon structure is virtually completely aromatic (graphitic).
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Nonmeeting paper number 98–318. Discussion of this peerreviewed and approved paper is invited and must be submitted to SME prior to Feb. 29, 2000.
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Stenebråten, J.F., Johnson, W.P. & Brosnahan, D.R. Characterization of Goldstrike ore carbonaceous material. Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration 16, 37–43 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03402817
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03402817