Gold recovery from refractory carbonaceous ores by pressure oxidation, thiosulfate leaching and resin-in-pulp adsorption
First Claim
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1. A process for recovering gold from a slurry comprising a solid ore residue and a gold-bearing thiosulfate lixiviant comprising:
- contacting the slurry with an ion exchange resin having affinity for gold to adsorb gold from the gold-bearing thiosulfate lixiviant onto said resin;
eluting gold from said resin to produce a gold-bearing eluate; and
recovering gold from the gold-bearing eluate.
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Abstract
A process for treatment of precious metal ores in which gold is leached from an oxidized ore slurry using a thiosulfate salt lixiviant and copper catalyst. Gold and copper are subsequently loaded onto an ion exchange resin. Copper is recovered from the resin by elution with a thiosulfate solution; gold is recovered from the resin by elution with a thiocyanate colution. Gold is recovered from the eluate by precipitation, electrowinning, or cementation.
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Citations
32 Claims
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1. A process for recovering gold from a slurry comprising a solid ore residue and a gold-bearing thiosulfate lixiviant comprising:
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contacting the slurry with an ion exchange resin having affinity for gold to adsorb gold from the gold-bearing thiosulfate lixiviant onto said resin; eluting gold from said resin to produce a gold-bearing eluate; and recovering gold from the gold-bearing eluate. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 11, 12, 13)
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7. A process for recovering gold from a gold-bearing thiosulfate lixiviant comprising:
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contacting the gold-bearing thiosulfate lixiviant with an ion exchange resin having affinity for gold to adsorb gold from the gold-bearing thiosulfate lixiviant onto said resin; eluting gold from said resin to produce a gold-bearing eluate; and recovering gold from the gold-bearing eluate. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 14, 15, 16, 26)
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17. A process for recovering gold from a gold-bearing oxidized ore slurry comprising:
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contacting the oxidized ore slurry with a thiosulfate lixiviant in the presence of an ion exchange resin having affinity for gold to leach gold from the ore and adsorb gold onto said resin; eluting gold from said resin to produce a gold-bearing eluate; and recovering gold from the gold-bearing eluate. - View Dependent Claims (18, 27)
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19. A process for recovering gold from an auriferous ore comprising the steps of:
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forming an aqueous ore slurry comprising an auriferous ore; subjecting the ore slurry to pressure oxidation in an autoclave under neutral or alkaline conditions to produce an oxidized ore slurry; leaching gold from the oxidized slurry by mixing the oxidized ore slurry with a lixiviant comprising a thiosulfate salt to produce a leached slurry comprising a solid residue and a gold-bearing leachate; contacting the leached slurry with an ion exchange resin having affinity for gold to adsorb gold from the gold-bearing thiosulfate leachate onto said resin; eluting gold from said resin to produce a gold-bearing eluate; and recovering gold from the gold-bearing eluate.
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20. A process for recovering gold from an auriferous ore comprising the steps of:
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forming an aqueous ore slurry comprising an auriferous ore; subjecting the ore slurry to pressure oxidation in an autoclave to produce an oxidized ore slurry; mixing the oxidized ore slurry with a lixiviant comprising a thiosulfate salt to form a mixture of oxidized ore slurry and lixiviant; leaching gold from the oxidized slurry by maintaining the mixture at a pH between 7 and 8.7 while agitating the mixture to produce a leached slurry comprising a solid residue and a gold-bearing leachate; and recovering gold from the gold-bearing leachate by contacting the leachate with an ion exchange resin having affinity for gold to adsorb gold onto said resin. - View Dependent Claims (21)
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22. A process for recovering gold from a refractory sulfidic and refractory carbonaceous auriferous ore having preg-robbing characteristics due to the presence of organic carbon comprising the steps of:
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forming an aqueous ore slurry comprising a refractory sulfidic and refractory carbonaceous ore having preg-robbing characteristics due to the presence of organic carbon; subjecting the ore slurry to pressure oxidation in an autoclave under neutral or alkaline conditions to produce an oxidized ore slurry having a pH in the range of between about 6 and 8; mixing the oxidized ore slurry with a lixiviant comprising a thiosulfate salt; leaching gold from the oxidized slurry by maintaining the mixture at a pH between 7 and 8.7 to produce a leached slurry comprising a solid residue and a gold-bearing leachate; and recovering gold from the gold-bearing leachate by contacting the leached slurry with an ion exchange resin having affinity for gold to adsorb gold from the gold-bearing thiosulfate lixiviant onto said resin; eluting gold from said resin to produce a gold-bearing eluate; and recovering gold from the gold-bearing eluate.
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- 23. A process for recovering gold from a gold-bearing eluate resulting from the elution of gold-thiosulfate complex from an ion exchange resin with a thiocyanate solution, the eluate containing thiosulfate ions and thiocyanate ions, the process comprising adding a basic compound to the eluate to increase the pH of the eluate to between about 9.5 to about 11.5 to cause gold to precipitate.
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28. A process for recovering gold from an auriferous ore slurry comprising:
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contacting the auriferous ore slurry with a thiosulfate lixiviant in the presence of an ion exchange resin having affinity for gold to leach gold from the ore and adsorb gold onto said resin; eluting gold from said resin to produce a gold-bearing eluate; and recovering gold from the gold-bearing eluate. - View Dependent Claims (29)
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30. A process for recovering gold from an auriferous ore comprising the steps of:
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contacting the ore with a lixiviant comprising a thiosulfate salt solution at a pH of between 7 and 8.7 to produce a leached slurry comprising a solid residue and a gold-bearing leachate; and recovering gold from the gold-bearing leachate by contacting the leached slurry with an ion exchange resin having affinity for gold to adsorb gold from the gold-bearing thiosulfate lixiviant onto said resin; eluting gold from said resin to produce a gold-bearing eluate; and recovering gold from the gold-bearing eluate.
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31. A process for recovering gold from an auriferous ore comprising the steps of:
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forming an aqueous ore slurry comprising an auriferous ore; mixing the ore slurry with a lixiviant comprising a quantity of thiosulfate salt in a stirred tank reactor system comprising several agitated leach tanks by progressively transferring the ore slurry from the first of said leach tanks to the last of said leach tanks while introducing a portion of said thiosulfate salt separately into a plurality of said agitated leach tanks to produce a leached slurry comprising a solid residue and a gold-bearing leachate; and recovering gold from the gold-bearing leachate by contacting the leached slurry with an ion exchange resin having affinity for gold to adsorb gold from the gold-bearing thiosulfate lixiviant onto said resin; eluting gold from said resin to produce a gold-bearing eluate; and recovering gold from the gold-bearing eluate.
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32. A process for recovering gold from a refractory sulfidic and refractory carbonaceous auriferous ore having preg-robbing characteristics due to the presence of organic carbon comprising the steps of:
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forming an aqueous ore slurry comprising a refractory sulfidic and refractory carbonaceous ore having preg-robbing characteristics due to the presence of organic carbon; subjecting the ore slurry to pressure oxidation in an autoclave to produce an oxidized ore slurry; mixing the oxidized ore slurry with a lixiviant comprising a thiosulfate salt; leaching gold from the oxidized slurry by maintaining the mixture at a pH between 7 and 8.7 to produce a leached slurry comprising a solid residue and a gold-bearing leachate; and recovering gold from the gold-bearing leachate by contacting the leached slurry with an ion exchange resin having affinity for gold to adsorb gold from the gold-bearing thiosulfate lixiviant onto said resin; eluting gold from said resin to produce a gold-bearing eluate; and recovering gold from the gold-bearing eluate.
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Specification