Abstract
Ammonia-thiosulfate-copper leaching, aided by a direct current electrochemical impact, is proposed to extract gold (Au), silver (Ag) and copper (Cu) from old flotation tailings mixed with waste rock. Over 80 % of Au available in the waste material and over 75 % of Cu and Ag were extracted into the pregnant leach solution (PLS) at room temperature. Electrowinning from that PLS recovered around 92 % of Au and Cu, and about 87 % of Ag in the cathode deposit that is suitable for further metallurgical refining. The results are better, compared to leaching in the same system but without electrochemical impact and at air addition. The proposed direct current aided method is promising and more environmentally friendly compared to cyanide and even to sodium thiosulfate leaching.
Highlights
Our society development and our everyday life are impossible without the use of various metals under different forms
The results are similar to the reported by other authors who do not apply an electrochemical impact [22]
The presence of ammonia speeds the dissolution by the formation of stable copper ammonia complexes
Summary
Our society development and our everyday life are impossible without the use of various metals under different forms. Ore mining and beneficiation and metal extraction can considerably damage, pollute and change all environment compartments (soil, water, air). Waste rock from mining activities and tailings from minerals processing occupies vast areas and often considerably change the original landscape. The tailings waste deposit Gornje Polje contains 12000000 m3 of minerals situated on an area of 500000 m2 of the Ibar Riverbank, Kosovo [1]. Another example - about 1.22 million m2 are affected by mining activity and over 2.84 million m2 by mining wastes in Bor basin, Serbia [2]
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