Process for recovering gold from refractory sulfidic ores
AssigneeHydrochem Developments Ltd.
InventorsKenneth J. Fair, Gezinus Van Weert, John C. Schneider
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Abstract
A process for recovering gold from a refractory sulfidic ore which has been suspended in an aqueous slurry and oxidized using nitric acid so that substantially all of the gold in the ore is made available for recovery and at least a portion of the sulfidic components present during the oxidation are oxidized to elemental sulfur, comprises bubbling air as a discontinuous phase upwardly through the oxidized slurry, thereby creating a froth containing elemental gold and sulfur. The froth is separated from the slurry to provide a concentrate, and the gold is recovered from the concentrate.
Claims15
A process for recovering gold from a refractory sulfidic ore which has been suspended in an aqueous slurry and oxidized using nitric acid so that substantially all of the gold in the ore is made available for recovery and at least a portion of sulfidic components present during the oxidation are oxidized to elemental sulfur, comprising:
- bubbling a process compatible gas as a discontinuous phase upwardly through the oxidized slurry which is strongly acidic and without conditioning the oxidized slurry, thereby creating a froth containing elemental sulfur and gold;
- separating the froth from the slurry to provide a concentrate;
- and
- recovering gold from the concentrate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.