Professional Documents
Culture Documents
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increase in leaching retention time), the gravity-concen-
Gold Plant, together with the space constraints, mineral-
tration route is a fact of life. ~
ogical considerations, financial evaluations, and ex-
The conventional practice of mercury amalgamation
perience gained on the Welkom circuit, led to the accept-
---------
ance of the circuit illustrated in Fig. 1.
*
Metallurgical Superintendent, East Division. The gravity gold concentrate is pumped from the mill
t Plant Superintendent, East Gold Plant. building to a storage vessel at the head of the smelt-house.
:f: Production Superintendent, East Gold Plant. From here, a measured batch (usually 3 or 4 t) is fed to ~
All the above of Vaal Reefs Exploration & Mining Company one of the two leaching reactor vessels. Barren solution
Limited, Private Bag X501O, Vaal Reefs, 2621 Transvaal. ~
@ The South African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, 198i from the precipitation-Stellar filters (3,5 m3) is then :1
SA ISSN 0038-223XjS3.00 + 0.00. introduced, followed by 500 litres of 30 per cent (m/m) '1
JOURNAL OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN INSTITUTE OF MINING AND METALLURGY JUNE 1984 159
";
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recent installation of thi~ screen, the following problems
gravity concentrate were encountered.
ex mill
(1) The feed line choked periodically.
cyanide (2) The pan filter cloth was damaged by pinhole tears.
(:3) Material settled in the leaching reactors, leading to
poor agitation, and hence to lower dissolution.
As cited by Davidson et al.3, it is likely (although
unquantified) that the presence of quantities of iron led
reactor vessels to the lower gold dissolution and increases in the con-
sumption of cyanide.
Reactor Ve8sels
pan filters
solids to The two vessels are of 6 m3 capacity (3,85 m by 1,5 m
osmiridium
t. -h_h 1--hJ in diameter) rubber-lined mild-steel shells with conical
~~f~r';,~'lt~mil1
t bases. The turbine is a departure from the flotation-cell
C,,~:n_! mechanism ofWclkom Mine, and attempts to operate at
Qo
~~~~:h~~o
gold sump
" lower power and with less violent agitation. As shown in
tanks I Fig. 2, the motor drives two impellers. The top impeller
I
I
I is designed to provide agitation at the liquid-gas interface
. and thus enhance the reactions. The lower turbine,
ih
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J
:
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situated within a draught tube, provides agitation and
r
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suspension of solids.
t
~ ~ :
-1Ullilllillilil- h
- -- - ~ - -- -- -
j
Mintek
electrowinning cell
I
steel-wool cathodes
motor
loaded with gold DD
Fig. I-Intensive-cyanidation circuit
160 JUNE 1984 JOURNAL OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN INSTITUTE Oft MINING AND METALLURGY
However, at the time of commissioning, the gold dis-
solution was poor initially, and various changes had to be
incorporated to produce satisfactory results. The dia- weir overflow
meter of the turbine was increased, and a larger drive to outlet
I
I 162 JUNE 1984 JOURNAL OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN INSTITUTE OF MINING AND METALLURGY
j
j
j
TABLE I
MONTHLY OPERATING RESULTS FOR INTENSIVE-CYANIDATION PLANT (ONCE-THROUGH ACCOUNTING
BASIS)
* Owing to the many changes in the electrowinning circuit over this period, results are not quoted
here.
t Severe electrical failures encountered. New rectification system purchased after this.
JOURNAL OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN INSTITUTE OF MINING AND METALLURGY JUNE 1984 163