Implementing Drip Systems in Mining Operations

Gold leaching solution distribution and spraying technology is the key technology of the heap leaching method. When traditional spraying is used for heap leaching, at the beginning, since the spray intensity does not exceed the infiltration capacity of the mineral powder, no water layer will be formed on the surface of the mineral powder The infiltration in this case is called free infiltration. The infiltration rate of mineral powder is equal to rainfall intensity. With the increase of spraying intensity and spraying time, the surface of the mineral powder quickly forms a water accumulation layer, the formation of compaction infiltration process turns into pressure infiltration, and the efficiency of leaching decreases.

By means of trickling infiltration method, the solution acts directly on the surface of ore powder pile, and there will be no water layer on the surface of ore powder. The infiltration speed is fast, and it can fully contact with gold leaching solvent and wash the surface of ore powder, which is very beneficial to the precipitation of gold powder.

1. The dripping method of gold immersion solution

Drip has the following advantages

(1) High performance and high reliability, easy to install;

(2) Can reduce production costs;

(3) Eliminate the influence of wind;

(4) Can operate all year round;

(5) Reduce the damage of solar ultraviolet rays to chemical substances;

(6) Reduce the excretion and loss of gold leaching solution;

(7) Save the construction cost of liquid storage tank and water diversion channel;

(8) The dripper is automatically cleaned and blocked;

(9) Reduce the impact on operators, the surrounding environment and the land, which is conducive to environmental protection.

Trickling can increase the air content in the solution, which means increasing the oxygen content in the chemical reaction and participating in the activity of gold ore precipitation; the trickling system can accurately control the concentration of cyanide solution and reduce the loss of sodium cyanide in the air; it is easy to add temperature control equipment in the trickling system to achieve the purpose of improving the temperature of heap leaching chemical reaction. The drip system has the advantages of high automation, easy operation, high production efficiency, high reliability, less impact on the environment and relatively low production cost.

2. Characteristics of dripping method

2.1 the drip system can be integrated with the heating system

In order to solve the problem of refractory gold ore dressing and metallurgy, roasting is the oldest and traditional pretreatment method of refractory gold ore. The advantage of roasting process is relatively strong adaptability (can deal with carbonaceous refractory gold ore) and relatively low operation cost. The disadvantage of this process is that it is sensitive to the change of operation parameters and feed composition, which is easy to cause over burning or under burning. When under burning, the sulfur and arsenic bearing minerals in the ore are not fully decomposed, and the calcine is locally burned during overburning, which makes the pores of the calcine be wrapped by closed point particles, which leads to the decrease of gold leaching rate. In addition, sulfur dioxide and arsenic trioxide will be produced during roasting, which will seriously pollute the atmosphere and environment when comprehensive recovery is unfavorable. At present, with the increasingly stringent environmental requirements, the cost of flue gas treatment matching with the process will be greatly increased.

In recent years, foreign research institutions are developing more effective heating wet technology. Although they are still in the experimental research stage, the heating wet technology has shown good industrial application Prospects.

2.2 It can accurately control the transportation of gold leaching liquid

The pipe network pressure of trickling is much lower than that of spraying, and the loss of solution components is less. It can accurately calculate and control the application amount of ore powder pile, especially after the automatic control system is adopted, the solution concentration and flow control are more accurate.

2.3 Effective utilization of gold cyanide and reduction of energy consumption

The trickling system avoids the dissipation loss in the process of solution distribution, and can accurately and quantitatively transport the gold leaching solution to the ore powder pile, so as to reduce the solution consumption and reduce the energy consumption of the circulation system.

2.4 No hardening and ponding

The application of drip leaching technology can completely eliminate the phenomenon of agglomeration on the surface of ore powder pile, remove the ore powder without ponding and infiltration problems, and improve the gold yield.