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FLOWSHEET ASSESSMENT TO RECOVER MORE GOLD

1. INTRODUCTION

Finding an optimal gold processing method for a specific ore sample has always

been a challenge for mining inestors. Conentionally! gold is recoered by

leaching "cyanidation#! graity concentration! flotation! biological or press$re

o%idation! and roasting methods "1 & '#. In practice! a combination of these

processes may be $sed. For oer 1(( years! the cyanidation process is the

primary leaching method to dissole gold from ores and concentrates and today it

alone acco$nts for )*+ of the world gold prod$ction ",! )#. The e%tracted gold is

finally recoered from the leach sol$tion by cementation! precipitation or electro-

winning "*#

1. INTRODUCCIN

/ncontrar $n m0todo ptimo de procesamiento de oro para $na m$estra de

mineral espec2fica siempre ha sido $n reto para inersionistas mineros.

Conencionalmente! el oro se rec$pera por li%iiacin "cian$racin#! concentracin

graitacional! flotacin! o%idacin biolgica o a presin! y m0todos de tostacin "1-

'#. /n la pr3ctica! $na combinacin de estos procesos p$eden ser $tili4ados.

Desde hace m3s de 1(( a5os! el proceso de cian$racin es la li%iiacin primaria

m0todo para disoler el oro de minerales y concentrados y hoy solo representa el

)*+ del m$ndo la prod$ccin de oro ",! )#. /l oro e%tra2do es finalmente

rec$perado de la sol$cin de li%iiacin por cementacin! precipitacin o electro-

obtencin "*#

In the last 6( years! howeer! there has been a growing awareness of the

enironment! and a need for mining ind$stry to wor7 within the constraints that are

imposed by the s$stainable deelopment. Cost and ma%im$m recoery are no

longer the only criteria in plant design. The enironmental effects of mining are

$nder close scr$tiny with increasing p$blic awareness for the possible harmf$l

effects. The $se of cyanide compo$nds in mining is fre8$ently a controersial iss$e

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d$e to enironmental concerns "9! 1(#. The debate s$rro$nding the $se of cyanide

in the mining ind$stry has f$eled considerable inestigation into the deelopment of

more enironmentally benign alternaties. The most promising alternaties were

identified as thio$rea "11 & 1*#! thiocyanate "1:! 1'#! thios$lphate "1,! 1)# and

halides 19 leaching! coal-oil agglomeration "6( & 6;# coal-gold agglomeration "6* &

6'#.

/n los

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Incl$so d$ra ha habido $na amplia inestigacin de dif$sin dirigida a la identificacin y el

desarrollo de agentes de li%iiacin menos t%icos y ambientalmente seg$ras para

reempla4ar el cian$ro! ning$no de los li%iiantes alternatios para minerales de oro hecho

inc$rsiones significatias en la posicin dominante de cian$ro debido a s$ rob$ste4 y

relatiamente ba=a los costos y las rec$peraciones de oro de alto "1;! 6,! 6)#. >asalternatias no son tan eficientes como el cian$ro y tambi0n tienen m$chos problemas

ambientales sin resp$esta para hacer frente a "1(#. @arece ser 8$e el proceso de

adsorcin de li%iiacin con cian$ro y carbn seg$ir3 desempe5ando $n papel dominante

en el procesamiento de free-fresado y minerales refractarios de oro en el f$t$ro preisible!

a$n8$e las preca$ciones m3s estrictas y por lo tanto m3s costoso para proteger el medio

ambiente y la mano de obra p$ede ser esperado "6)#.

The $se of graity concentration to s$pplement either flotation or cyanidation is awell established practice in the gold ind$stry. Araity separation has been $tili4ed

in gold plants as the primary recoery mechanism or alternatiely ahead of other

downstream processes s$ch as flotation and cyanidation ":1#. For more than 9: +

of all applications! graity recoery targets graityrecoerable gold "ARA# to

s$pplement cyanidation or flotation! thereby increasing oerall gold recoery by 1-:

+ and slightly red$cing some of the costs associated with carbon stripping and

regeneration.

/l $so de la concentracin por graedad para complementar ya sea de flotacin o

de cian$racin es $n bien establecidos la pr3ctica en la ind$stria del oro. >a

separacin por graedad tiene sido $tili4ada en las plantas de oro como la

rec$peracin primaria mecanismo o! alternatiamente! por delante de otro los

procesos posteriores! tales como flotacin y cian$racin ":1#. D$rante m3s de

9:+ de todos aplicaciones! los ob=etios de rec$peracin de graedad graedad

rec$perables oro "ARA# para complementar cian$racin o de flotacin! lo 8$e

a$menta la rec$peracin general de oro en $n 1-:+ y ligeramente red$cir alg$nos

de los costos asociado con e%traccin de carbono y la regeneracin.