System and method for recovering precious metals from precursor-type ore materials

A method for recovering a precious metal from a geologic material, the method comprising the steps of:

• (a) forming a slurry including:
• (i) a geologic material including at least one precious metal, the at least one precious metal being present in a non-bulk state, and
• (ii) a surfactant;
• (b) agitating the slurry;
• (c) recovering a solid fraction from the agitated slurry;
• and
• (d) sintering the solid fraction according to a first sintering profile that causes a portion of the at least one precious metal to agglomerate within the solid fraction into a bulk state of the at least one precious metal, the at least one precious metal having in the bulk state a greater weight percent of the solid fraction than the at least one precious metal had prior to sintering the solid fraction, wherein the first sintering profile includes a first period of time at a first temperature and a second period of time at a second temperature, wherein the second temperature is greater than the first temperature.

A method for recovering gold from a geologic material, the method comprising the steps of:

• (a) combining into a first slurry:
• (i) a geologic material including gold present in a non-bulk state, and
• (ii) about 1 liter of water per 50 grams of the geologic material;
• (b) agitating the first slurry;
• (c) recovering a first solid fraction from the first slurry;
• (d) combining into a second slurry:
• (i) the first solid fraction,
• (ii) about 1 liter of water per 50 g of the geologic material,
• (iii) about 1 gram per liter to about 100 grams per liter of urea, and
• (iv) about 0.01% to about 1% of a non-ionic surfactant on a volume per volume basis;
• (e) agitating the second slurry;
• (f) recovering a second solid fraction from the second slurry;
• (g) sintering the second solid fraction for a first period of time at a first temperature, a second period of time at a second temperature, and a third period of time at a third temperature, wherein the second temperature is greater than the first temperature, and the third temperature is greater than the second temperature;
• and
• (h) recovering a sintered material including at least about 0.15 weight percent of gold metal in a bulk state.