RECOVERY OF GOLD AND SILVER FROM GOLD MINE TAILINGS

  • Urtnasan Erdenebold Department of Metallurgical Engineering, Pukyong National University, Busan, Republic of Korea
  • Wang Jei-Pil Associate Professor, Department of Metallurgical Engineering, Pukyong National University, Busan, Republic of Korea

Abstract


Gold mine tailings may contain relatively high concentrations of valuable metals such as iron, copper and zinc and occasionally, even precious metals such as gold and silver. The Au and Ag concentrations in the tailings from gold mining in Jeonnam Province are 110 mg/kg and 3 380 mg/kg, respectively. Their major components are SiO2, Fe2O3 and Al2O3, but they also contain reactive sulphide minerals such as pyrite. We used high temperature smelting and additives to dissolve Au and Ag from the gold mine tailings into the molten copper. Gold greatly dissolved (82 mg/kg Au in the molten copper) at 1600 °С under a CaO/SiO2 ratio of 1.25, suggesting the increase in the dissolution of gold with the decreasing viscosity of the molten tailings at high temperatures.

Author Biography

Urtnasan Erdenebold, Department of Metallurgical Engineering, Pukyong National University, Busan, Republic of Korea
Urtnasan Erdenebold, shortly called Boldoo, was born on November 01, 1981 in Darkhan, Mongolia. He did his undergraduate and graduate work at MUST Darkhan School of Technology, Darkhan, Mongolia. He is also studying of doctral degree in Pukyong National University, Korea. He is foced on recycling of metallurgical waste.

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Published
2020/01/29
How to Cite
Erdenebold, U., & Jei-Pil, W. (2019). RECOVERY OF GOLD AND SILVER FROM GOLD MINE TAILINGS. Journal of Mining and Metallurgy, Section B: Metallurgy, 55(3), 343-349. Retrieved from https://aseestant.ceon.rs/index.php/jmm/article/view/19079
Issue
Vol. 55 No. 3 (2019)
Section
Original Scientific Paper

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