Comparison of methods for enhancing gold recovery from double refractory concentrates using the technology of autoclave oxidation

Abstract

The study aims to investigate the most efficient method for significant minimization of the impact of organic carbon on gold recovery from double refractory raw materials. We tested three double refractory gold-sulfide concentrates from different deposits with the content of gold from 23.5 to 40.9 g/t and total carbon from 1.2 to 9.5 wt %. Thermal treatment was carried out in a tubular rotary furnace that provided permanent temperature setting and rotation speed in the reactor. The initial concentrate was grinded as pulp in a Fritsch planetary mono mill Pulverisette 6. Autoclave oxidation was performed in Premex and Büchi titanium autoclaves. The technology of autoclave oxidation with the addition of a secondary oxidizer was found to be the most efficient, since it can increase gold recovery up to 97%. Another technology – hightemperature autoclave oxidation – also proved high performance; however, a significant increase in the residence time of the material in the autoclave (up to 120 min) at elevated temperatures is required to achieve this performance. According to the results, thermal treatment in general can provide a small increase in gold recovery (up to 4%). Due to this, it can be used as an additional processing with other methods analyzed in this article rather than as a self-sufficient technological solution. The studies revealed that the preliminary thermal treatment of concentrates entering autoclave oxidation shows a positive effect; high-temperature autoclave oxidation of concentrates with different carbon content provides high gold recovery for high-carbon concentrates; the use of a secondary oxidizer (in the form of nitric acid) also benefits the gold recovery. The high efficiency of the technology for concentrates with different carbon content allows us to recommend it for further research.