BAKIR İÇEREN SİYANÜR LİÇİ ÇÖZELTİLERİNDEN ALTININ SEÇİMLİ OLARAK KAZANIMINDA ADSORBANLARIN ETKİNLİĞİ

Abstract

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.