A comparison of ion-exchange resins and activated carbon in recovering gold from cyanide leach solutions with low levels of copper

Year 2022, Volume: 168 Issue: 168, 35 - 41, 18.08.2022

Deus Albert Msumange Ersin Yener Yazıcı Oktay Celep Hacı Deveci

https://doi.org/10.19111/bulletinofmre.955403

Cited By: 1

Abstract

This study was conducted to determine the effectiveness of three different adsorbents for the adsorption of gold from a real cyanide leach liquor. An activated carbon (NORIT GAC 1240), strong base (Purogold A194), and weak base (Purogold S992) resins were tested as the adsorbents. The pregnant leach solution (PLS) was derived from cyanide leaching (1.5 g/L NaCN, 25% w/w solids ratio, 1.5 L/min air flow rate, pH 10.5 – 11, 24 h) of the roasted copper-rich refractory gold ore pretreated with H2SO4. Gold and copper concentrations in the PLS were analysed to be 26.1 mg/L Au and 62.4 mg/L Cu, respectively. Activated carbon was found to be the best performing adsorbent as it achieved the highest gold loading. Purogold A194 loaded the highest amount of copper amongst the adsorbents tested. Despite the fact that activated carbon loaded a high amount of gold, it was less selective than Purogold S992. Purogold A194 exhibited the lowest selectivity, which was defined as the distribution ratio of gold to copper, compared with Purogold S992 and activated carbon. Therefore, the order of selectivity of the adsorbents tested was as follows: Purogold S992 > Activated carbon > Purogold A194.

Keywords

Copper-Rich Gold Ore, Gold Adsorption, Activated Carbon, Resin, Selectivity.

Supporting Institution

Karadeniz Technical University

Project Number

FBA-2018-7399

Thanks

The authors would like to express their sincere thanks to the Scientific Research Foundation of Karadeniz Technical University for the financial support (Project no: FBA-2018-7399), to PUROLITE for kindly providing resin samples and to Koza Gold Co. (Gümüşhane/Mastra, Turkey) for kindly providing copper-rich gold ore samples.

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