Abstract
The article is devoted to development of a brand new approach to solution of the issue related to development of efficient technologies aimed at processing of especially refractory and hard to concentrate ledge gold ore types. A new technology of such gold ore Reducing Pyrometallurgical Selection (RPS Process) utilising the direct smelting process avoiding its concentration has been developed for the purpose. Utilisation of high temperatures and liquid phase melting processes allows actually complete processing of refractory gold ores irrespective of the mostly complex resistance to processing types and with simultaneous and efficient performance of the following four process operations: a complete removal of any waste rock in the form of melted slag containing gold not exceeding 0.1‒0.3 g/t; a complete transfer into the gas phase and removal of arsenic and other harmful admixtures with off gases; complete combustion of all the ore carbon containing matter types obtaining additional heat for smelting and reducing gas phase; an actually complete transfer of any precious metals into a sulphide melt, collector matte, with gold recovery of 95‒99%, which yield will amount about 10% of the ledge gold ore weight. Thus, the developed technology ensures a ten-fold decrease of processed ore amounts in the process head. The RPS Process has been developed and tested in laboratories and under workshop conditions on the basis of direct electric smelting of hard to concentrate and refractory ledge gold ore from a number of deposits of Southern, Central and Eastern Kazakhstan. Such tests of the RPS Process revealed the possibility to increase throughout gold recovery by 10‒15% as compared with currently achieved in dices in case of especially refractory ledge ore processing.
Highlights
Arrangement of highly efficient processing of complex in composition refractory and double refractory ledge gold ore types is one of fundamental but unsolved issues of the global gold producing industry
Utilisation of high temperatures and liquid phase melting processes allows complete processing of refractory gold ores irrespective of the mostly complex resistance to processing types and with simultaneous and efficient performance of the following four process operations: a complete removal of any waste rock in the form of melted slag containing gold not exceeding 0.1‒0.3 g/t; a complete transfer into the gas phase and removal of arsenic and other harmful admixtures with off gases; complete combustion of all the ore carbon containing matter types obtaining additional heat for smelting and reducing gas phase; an complete transfer of any precious metals into a sulphide melt, collector matte, with gold recovery of 95‒99%, which yield will amount about 10% of the ledge gold ore weight
Physical and chemical processes related to the thermal dissociation of complex and gold containing iron and non-ferrous metal sulphide minerals, formation of matte and slag melts and transfer of all the charging material volatile components into the gas phase are the bases of the refractory ledge gold ore direct pyrometallurgical selection with gold containing matte acquisition under the RPS Process
Summary
Arrangement of highly efficient processing of complex in composition refractory and double refractory ledge gold ore types is one of fundamental but unsolved issues of the global gold producing industry. On the basis of the above situation and taking into account existing natural causes of gold ore resistance and limited technological potentials of the majority of processes to recover that metal from hard to process materials, it may be unambiguously considered that brand new approaches and technologies are required to fundamentally solve the issue In this case, taking into account the established technological in expediency of refractory and especially double refractory carbonaceous arsenic ledge gold ore concentration, such processes shall be developed and mastered first of all in relation to direct processing of gold containing materials, without their preliminary concentration.
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