Acid leaching of heavy nonferrous metals from gold-bearing cathode deposit

The cathode deposit after gold-bearing ore processing using the carbon–adsorption technology contains a large amount of heavy base metal impurities which should be removed before the subsequent smelting and affinage operations. One of the methods for refining the cathode deposit is hydrochloric acid leaching of impurities. The physicochemical process model is developed in Selector software to identify the potential for acid leaching of impurities from the cathode deposit, to select reagents and to optimize leaching. The model reveals that the use of hydrochloric acid solutions at concentration of 200 kg/m3 or higher allows base metals to be transferred to solution as follows: copper—85.6%, lead—98.4% and zinc—99.0%. The chemical composition of leach solutions and residues is also determined. The experimental tests of hydrochloric acid leaching of impurities from the cathode deposit have proven validity of the physicochemical model. Experimental extraction values are: copper—69.06%, lead—93.9%, zinc—79.5% and iron—47%. After hydrochloric acid leaching, smelting of the cathode deposit with fluxes in induction furnaces makes it possible to obtain alloyed gold with 23.5% higher weight content of precious metals at the decreased content of copper and lead by 16.5% and 6.6%, respectively. To determine the chemical composition of the cathode deposit and leaching products, the methods of X-ray spectral microanalysis and X-ray fluorescence spectrometry is used.

Zhmurova V. V., Abdusalomov A. G. Acid leaching of heavy nonferrous metals from gold-bearing cathode deposit. MIAB. Mining Inf. Anal. Bull. 2021;(3-1):330—337. [In Russ]. DOI: 10.25018/0236_1493_2021_31_0_330.

Zhmurova V. V.¹, Cand. Sci. (Eng.), Associate Professor of the Department of Metallurgy of Non-Ferrous Metals;
Abdusalomov A. G.¹, Master’s Student of Group MCM-18-1;
¹ Irkutsk National Technical Research University, v_pichugina@list.ru, Irkutsk, Russia.

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