Reducing cyanide consumption in gold recovery from finely ground sulphide ores and concentrates

Number of patents in Portfolio can not be more than 2000

United States of America Patent

PATENT NO 7488370
APP PUB NO 20060185475A1
SERIAL NO

10533317

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Abstract

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Precious metals such as gold can be extracted from a refractory ore using a conventional cyanide leaching step and with reduced cyanide consumption by pre-treating the ore prior to cyanide leaching. The refractory ore is pretreated by fine grinding and an initial leaching step which uses inexpensive limestone and lime to maintain the initial leach relatively alkaline. Oxygen is added to the initial leaching step and the conditions are carefully controlled to only partially oxidize the ground ore to between 9-15%. The initial leaching step can be carried out at temperatures of less than 100 degrees C. and at atmospheric pressures. The pre-treated ore is then leached by a conventional cyanide leaching step to recover the precious metal and cyanide consumption can be reduced by more than two thirds.

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Patent Owner(s)

Patent OwnerAddress
XSTRATA QUEENSLAND LTDQUEENSLAND AUSTRALIA QUEENSLAND

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Inventor(s)

Inventor Name Address # of filed Patents Total Citations
Hourn, Michael M Carindale, AU 1 4
Ventura, Rodrigo U Sunnybank, AU 1 4
Willis, John A Sherwood, AU 12 608
Winborne, David Mitchelton, AU 2 11

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