Silver-Gold Ore Processing: Comparing Cyanidation and Column Leaching

In the field of mineral processing, dealing with complex ores is always a challenging task. One such complex ore is the high - argillaceous silver - gold ore, which poses significant problems due to its high clay content and poor percolation during heap leaching. To address these issues, a comparative study on whole - ore cyanidation leaching and column leaching has been carried out.

Introduction to the Ore

The high - argillaceous silver - gold ore in question has characteristics that make traditional leaching methods less effective. The high clay content can cause agglomeration, which seriously affects the permeability of the ore during heap leaching. This not only reduces the leaching efficiency but also leads to uneven leaching, resulting in a large amount of valuable metals remaining in the leaching residue.

Research Methods

Two main leaching methods were employed in this study: whole - ore cyanidation leaching and column leaching. For whole - ore cyanidation leaching, the ore was ground and then subjected to cyanide leaching under specific conditions. In the case of column leaching, a more complex process of granulation - solidification - column leaching was adopted. First, the ore was granulated to improve its permeability. Then, a solidification process was carried out to ensure the stability of the granules during the leaching process. Finally, the column leaching operation was conducted.

Experimental Results

The experimental results showed remarkable differences between the two methods. Through the granulation - solidification - column leaching process, an excellent gold leaching rate of 81.98% was achieved, with the gold grade in the leaching residue being 0.17 g/t. For silver, the leaching rate reached 53.98%, and the silver grade in the leaching residue was 8.26 g/t. In terms of reagent consumption, the consumption of sodium cyanide was 0.444 kg/t, and the consumption of lime was 6 kg/t. These results demonstrated the superiority of the granulation - solidification - column leaching process in treating this high - argillaceous silver - gold ore.

Significance of the Results

These experimental results provide crucial technical support for the next - step industrial production. The optimized column leaching process can effectively solve the problems of high - argillaceous silver - gold ore leaching, such as poor percolation. It not only improves the leaching rate of valuable metals but also reduces reagent consumption, which is of great significance for improving the economic benefits of the mining enterprise and promoting the sustainable development of the mining industry.

In conclusion, the comparative study on cyanidation leaching and column leaching of high - argillaceous silver - gold ore has achieved significant results. The granulation - solidification - column leaching process shows great potential for industrial application, and further research and improvement can be carried out based on these results to better realize the efficient utilization of high - argillaceous silver - gold ore resources.