Keywords
Mineralogical characterization
leaching
gold mining
refractory ore
digital image processing Caracterización mineralógica
lixiviación
minería de oro
mineral refractario
tratamiento digital de imágenes
leaching
gold mining
refractory ore
digital image processing Caracterización mineralógica
lixiviación
minería de oro
mineral refractario
tratamiento digital de imágenes
How to Cite
Ospina Correa, J. D., Osorio Cachaya, J. G., Serna Zuluaga, C. M., Mejía Restrepo, E., Giraldo Vélez, C. E., & Posada Montoya, J. A. (2016). Process mineralogy of leaching gold refractory minerals using Thiosulphate solutions. Informador Tecnico, 80(2), 128–141. https://doi.org/10.23850/22565035.482
Abstract
Process mineralogy is a powerful technique that offers valuable information for the assessment ofgold recovery processes in order to enhance their efficiency. The aim of this article is to evaluate the mineralogy and oxidation of the mineral throughout the leaching of gold using thiosulphate, particularly refractory gold. Characterization techniques such as Polarized Light Microscopy (PLM), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), and Scanning Electron Microscopy with X-Ray Microanalysis (SEM-EDS) were performed. The mineralogical characterization prior to the leaching process reveals association, size, and shape of each mineral occurrence. The mineral composition was found to be pyrite crystals, exhibiting subhedral and inequigranular morphology (58% of the sample);galena crystals (15% of the sample); sphalerite, chalcopyrite and arsenopyrite crystals (representing 7% of the sample); less than 1% free gold; and aluminosilicate phases (approximately 19% of the sample). Fire assay results showed 59 g/ton of gold and 70 g/ton of silver. After the leaching process, some accumulation of individual pyrite grains with corrosion grooves,decreased particle size, as well as dissolution of the accompanying phases (sphalerite, chalcopyrite,galena, and arsenopyrite) were found. Precipitated amorphous phases of copper were not observed. The best leaching process found was the pretreatment of the mineral solution in ammonium hydroxide and copper during 12 hours with air bubbling followed by leaching in ammonium thiosulphate solution, resulting in a gold-release of 82%. The mineralogical characterization allowed to find the optimum conditions for the gold recovery, having that the dissolution with thiosulphate depends not only on the phases present in the starting mineral but also in the currents involved in the electrochemical process.
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