THE EFFECTIVENESS OF ADSORBENTS FOR SELECTIVE RECOVERY OF GOLD FROM COPPER-BEARING CYANIDE LEACH SOLUTIONS

Yıl 2021, Cilt: 60 Sayı: 1, 21 - 30, 01.03.2021

Deus Albert Msumange , Ersin Y. Yazıcı , Oktay Celep , Hacı Deveci

https://doi.org/10.30797/madencilik.796729

Cited By: 1

Öz

Recovery of gold from copper-rich gold ores has proved challenging. Dissolved copper in cyanide-deficit leach solutions severely interferes with adsorption of gold resulting in low recoveries onto activated carbon or ion exchange resins. This study reports the efficiency of different adsorbents for selective recovery of gold from the copper-containing cyanide leachate. Activated carbon (NORIT GAC 1240), mixed base (Purogold A193), strong base (Dowex 21K XLT, Purogold A194) and weak base (Purogold S992) resins were tested as the adsorbents. The pregnant leach solution (PLS), which contained 28.2 mg/L Au and 2804 mg/L Cu was obtained from the cyanidation of a roasted copper-rich gold ore. The activated carbon showed a superior capacity for gold loading, succeeded by Purogold S992. On the other hand, Purogold S992 (weak base) achieved the highest degree of selectivity for gold over copper with the lowest copper adsorption. Mixed and strong base resins had the highest copper loadings. These findings demonstrated that Purogold S992 could be suitably used for selective recovery of gold from leach solutions containing a high level of copper.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Copper-rich gold ore, Cyanide leaching, Ion exchange resin, Activated carbon, Selectivity

Destekleyen Kurum

Karadeniz Technical University

Proje Numarası

FBA-2018-7399

Teşekkür

Funding for this work (Project no: FBA-2018-7399) has been fully provided by the Scientific Research Foundation of Karadeniz Technical University (KTU). We are wholeheartedly grateful for this unfeigned support. The authors would like to express thanks to Koza Gold Co. (Gümüşhane/Mastra, Turkey) for providing copper-rich gold ore samples and to PUROLITE Co. for providing resin samples.

BAKIR İÇEREN SİYANÜR LİÇİ ÇÖZELTİLERİNDEN ALTININ SEÇİMLİ OLARAK KAZANIMINDA ADSORBANLARIN ETKİNLİĞİ

Öz

Bakır içeriği yüksek altın cevherlerinden altının kazanımının zorluğu kanıtlanmıştır. Siyanür konsantrasyonu düşük liç çözeltilerindeki çözünmüş bakır, altının aktif karbon veya iyon değiştirici reçinelere adsorpsiyonunu önemli ölçüde olumsuz etkilemekte ve düşük altın kazanımlarına neden olmaktadır. Bu çalışmada, bakır içeren siyanür çözeltisinden altının seçimli olarak kazanılması için farklı adsorbanların etkinlikleri bildirilmiştir. Aktif karbon (NORIT GAC 1240), karışık bazik (Purogold A193), kuvvetli bazik (Dowex 21K XLT, Purogold A194) ve zayıf bazik (Purogold S992) reçineler adsorban olarak test edilmiştir. Kavurma ön işlemine tabi tutulmuş yüksek bakır içeren bir altın cevherinin siyanür liçi ile 28,2 mg/L Au ve 2804 mg/L Cu içeren yüklü liç çözeltisi elde edilmiştir. Aktif karbonun en yüksek ve onu takiben de Purogold S992’nin ikinci en yüksek adsorpsiyon kapasitesine sahip olduğu görülmüştür. Diğer taraftan, en düşük seviyede bakır adsorplayan Purogold S992 (zayıf bazik), altın için bakıra göre en yüksek seçimliliğe ulaşmıştır. Karışık ve kuvvetli bazik reçineler, en yüksek bakır adsorpsiyonuna sahiptir. Elde edilen sonuçlar, Purogold S992'nin yüksek bakır içeren liç çözeltilerinden altının seçimli olarak kazanımında kullanılmasının uygun olduğunu göstermiştir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Bakırca zengin altin cevheri, Siyanür liçi, İyon değiştirici reçine, Aktif karbon, Seçimlilik

Proje Numarası

FBA-2018-7399

Kaynakça

• Adams, M.D., 1992. The Mechanisms of Adsorption of Ag(CN)2- and Ag+ on to Activated Carbon, Hydrometallurgy, 31, 121-138.
• Ahlatcı, F., Koç, E., Yazici, E., Celep, O., Deveci, H., 2018. Adsorption of Heavy Metals from Waste Cyanide Solutions with Anionic Resins, Scientific Mining Journal, 57, 17-22 (In Turkish).
• Bachiller, D., Torre, M., Rendueles, M., Diaz, M., 2004. Cyanide Recovery by Ion Exchange from Gold Ore Waste Effluents Containing Copper, Mineral Engineering 17, 767-774.
• Bas, A. D., Yazici, E. Y., Deveci, H., 2012. Treatment of Copper-Rich Gold Ores by Ammonia Assisted Cyanide Leaching. Proceedings of the XXVI International Mineral Processing Congress (IMPC), New Delhi, India, 356−365.
• Bas, A. D., Koç, E., Yazici, E. Y., Deveci, H., 2015. Treatment of Copper-Rich Gold Ore by Cyanide Leaching, Ammonia Pretreatment, and Ammoniacal Cyanide Leaching. Trans Nonferrous Met. Soc. China, 597-607.
• Breuer, P. L., Jeffrey, M.I., Dai, X., 2005. Leaching and Recovery of Copper during the Cyanidation of Copper Containing Gold Ores. Treatment of Gold Ores. The Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum, Quebec, Canada, 279-293.
• Dai, X., Breuer, P. L., 2009. Cyanide and Copper Cyanide Recovery by Activated Carbon. Minerals Engineering, 22, 469-476.
• Dai, X., Breuer, P. L., Jeffrey, M.I., 2010. Comparison of Activated Carbon and Ion-Exchange Resins in Recovering Copper from Cyanide Leach Solutions. Hydrometallurgy, 48-57.
• Deveci H., Yazici E.Y., Celep O., 2018. An Overview of Pre-treatment and Leaching Options for Gold Extraction from Refractory Copper-Gold Ores, 16th International Mineral Processing Symposium and Exhibition (IMPS), Antalya, 439-451.
• de Andrade Lima, L.R.P., 2007. Dynamic Simulation of the Carbon-in-Pulp and Carbon-in-Leach Processes. Brazilian Journal of Chemical Engineering, 24 (4), 623-635.
• Fleming, C.A., Cromberge, G., 1984. The elution of Aurocyanide from Strong- and Weak- Base Resins. Journal of the South African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, 84 (9), 269-280.
• Gomes, C. P., Almeida, M. F., Loureiro, J. M., 2001. Gold Recovery with Ion Exchange Used Resins. Separation and Purification Technology, 24(1-2), 35–57.
• Kotze, M., Green, B., Mackenzie, J., Virnig, M., 2016. Resin-in-Pulp and Resin in-Solution, In Gold Ore Processing, ed.: Adams, M., Elsevier: Amsterdam, Netherlands, 561–584.
• Leao, V.A., Ciminelli, V.S.T., 2000. Application of Ion Exchange Resins in Gold Hydrometallurgy. A Tool for Cyanide Recycling, Solvent Extraction and Ion Exchange, 18 (3), 567-582.
• Leao, V.A., Lukey, G.C., Vandeventer, J.S.J., Ciminelli, V.S.T., 2001. The Dependence of Sorbed Copper and Nickel Cyanide Speciation on Ion Exchange Resin Type. Hydrometallurgy, 61, 105-119.
• Marsden, J., House, I., 2006. The Chemistry of Gold Extraction. 2nd Edition, The Society for Mining Metallurgy and Exploration Inc., USA, 318-392.
• Medusa, 2009. Software for Chemical Equilibrium Diagrams, 32 bit version, Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden.
• Msumange, D.A., 2019. Recovery of Gold from Copper-Rich Ores Using Ion Exchange Resins. MSc Thesis, Karadeniz Technical University (KTU), The Graduate School of Natural and Applied Sciences, Department of Mining Engineering, Trabzon, 108 pp.
• Muir, D.M., La Brooy, S.R., Cao, C., 1989. Recovery of Gold from Copper-Bearing Ores. Gold Forum on Technology and Practices- World Gold 89, 363-374.
• Muir, D.M., 2011. A Review of the Selective Leaching of Gold from Oxidised Copper–Gold Ores with Ammonia–Cyanide and New Insights for Plant Control and Operation. Minerals Engineering, 24, 576–582.
• NORIT, 2003. Data Sheet – NORIT GAC 1240, Granular Activated Carbon, No: 2201, 2 pp.
• PUROLITE, 2015. Purogold Ion Exchange Resins for Metals Recovery Applications, P-000033-250PP-0515-PCO, 2 pp.
• PUROLITE, 2016a. Product Data Sheet - Purogold A193, 1 August, 1 pp.
• PUROLITE, 2016b. Product Data Sheet - Purogold S992, 1 August, 1 pp.
• PUROLITE, 2020. Product Information – Purolite Product Guide, P-000023-NPOLD-0120-R2-ENG-PCO, 25 pp.
• Sayiner, B., Acarkan, N., 2014. Effect of Silver, Nickel and Copper Cyanides on Gold Adsorption on Activated Carbon in Cyanide Leach Solutions, Physicochemical Problems of Mineral Processing, 50 (1), 277-287.
• Senanayake, G., 2004. Gold Leaching in Non-Cyanide Lixiviant Systems: Critical Issues on Fundamentals and Applications. Minerals Engineering, 17, 785–801.
• Sole, K.C., Mooiman, M.B., Hardwick, E., 2018. Ion Exchange in Hydrometallurgical Processing: An Overview and Selected Applications, Separation & Purification Reviews, 47 (2), 159-178.
• URL-1, https://www.lenntech.com/Data-sheets/Dowex-21K-XLT-L.pdf, July 24, 2020.
• Van Deventer, J., 2011. Selected Ion Exchange Applications in the Hydrometallurgical Industry, Solvent Extraction and Ion Exchange, 29 (5-6), 695-718.
• Van Deventer, J., Kotze, M., Yahorava, V., 2012. Gold Recovery From Copper-Rich Ores Employing the Purogold S992 Gold-Selective Ion Exchange Resin. ALTA 2012 Gold Conference, Melbourne, Australia, ALTA Metallurgical Service, 8 pp.
• Van Deventer, J., Bazhko, V., Yahorava, V., 2014. Comparison of gold-selective ion exchange resins and activated carbon for the recovery of gold from copper gold leach liquors. ALTA 2014 Gold-precious metals Conference, Melbourne, Australia, ALTA Metallurgical Service, 18 pp.
• Van Deventer, J., 2014. New Developments in Ion Exchange Resins for the Recovery of Gold from Complex Ores. Hydrometallurgy, Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum, Montreal, Canada, 677-687.
• Voiloshnikova, N., Deementyev, V., Voiloshnikov, G., Grigoryeva, I., and Moskaeva, N., 2014a. Comparison of Anion Exchange Resins for Adsorption Processes in the Gold Industry, XXVII International Mineral Processing Congress, Santiago-Chile, 1-10.
• Voiloshnikova, N.S., Grigoryeva, I.I., Voiloshnikov, G.I., 2014b. Use of Weak-base Ion-exchange Resin for Gold Ore Processing. International Mineral Processing Congress (IMPC), Santiago, Chile, 2811–2816.
• Yang, X., Moats, M.S., Miller, J.D., 2010a. Gold Dissolution in Acidic Thiourea and Thiocyanate Solutions, Electrochimica Acta, 55, 3643-3649.
• Yang, X., Moats, M.S., Miller, J.D., 2010b. The Interaction of Thiourea and Formamidine Disulfide in the Dissolution of Gold in Sulfuric Acid Solutions, Minerals Engineering, 23 (9), 698-704.
• Yazici, E.Y., Ahlatci, F., Koc, E., Celep, O., Deveci, H., 2015. Pre-treatment of a Copper-rich Gold Ore for Elimination of Copper Interference. 8th European Metallurgical Conference (EMC), Dusseldorf, Vol. 2, 601-613.