Process for beneficiating gold
AssigneeHazen Research, Inc.
InventorsJames K. Kindig, Ronald L. Turner
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A process for beneficiating particulate gold from non-magnetic foreign material with which it is mixed which comprises contacting the mixture with an iron carbonyl in order to selectively enhance the magnetic susceptibility of the gold particles so that a magnetic separation between the gold and foreign material may be effected.
Claims19
A process for beneficiating particulate gold from foreign material with which it is mixed which comprises contacting the mixture with an iron carbonyl under conditions which cause the iron carbonyl to decompose and then cause a coating at the surface of the gold particles to the substantial exclusion of the foreign material so as to alter the surface characteristics of the gold particles thereby causing a selective enhancement of the magnetic susceptibility of the gold particles to the substantial exclusion of the foreign material so that a magnetic separation between the gold and foreign material may be effected.
A process for beneficiating gold mixed with foreign material, which comprises the steps of:
- (a) reducing the mixture to a particulate form;
- (b) placing the particulate mixture in a gas treatment chamber;
- (c) introducing iron carbonyl vapor into said chamber under conditions which preclude substantial non-selective decomposition of the iron carbonyl, and
- (d) maintaining the iron carbonyl vapor in contact with said mixture for a sufficient time for the iron carbonyl to selectively enhance the magnetic susceptibility of substantially all of the gold particles in the mixture.
A process for recovering gold from a mixture of gold with other material which comprises contacting the mixture with a carbonyl of a Group VIII metal under conditions which cause the Group VIII metal carbonyl to decompose and then cause a coating at the surface of the gold to the substantial exclusion of the other material so as to alter the surface characteristics of the gold thereby causing a selective enhancement of the magnetic susceptibility of the gold to the substantial exclusion of the other material so that a magnetic separation between the gold and said other material may be effected.
A process for beneficiating gold mixed with foreign material, comprising:
- (a) reducing the mixture to a particulate form;
- (b) placing the particulate mixture in a gas treatment chamber;
- (c) contacting an inert carrier gas with iron carbonyl vapor to incorporate the iron carbonyl vapor in the carrier gas;
- (d) introducing the iron carbonyl vapor carried in the carrier gas into said chamber at a rate of from about 0.5 to about 4.0 kilograms of iron carbonyl per metric ton of particulate material and at a temperature from about 110.degree. C. to about 130.degree. C.
- (e) maintaining the iron carbonyl vapor in contact with said mixture for less than one-half hour to selectively enhance the susceptibility of substantially all of the gold particles in the mixture;
- (f) separating the gold particles from the mixture by magnetic separation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.