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TT-205

THE CLARIFICATION OF THE


PREGNANT SOLUTION AS 1. INTRODUCTION
FUNDAMENTAL PARAMETER IN THE
GOLD AND SILVER RECOVERY One of the most important parameters of
THROUGH THE MERRILL CROWE the Merrill Crowe process is the
PROCESS Clarification of the pregnant solution which
contains gold and silver dissolved values
Mineral Processing coming from the leaching stage with
cyanide. In order to obtain a good
Jorge Marquina metallurgical recovery of the Merrill Crowe
process, the turbidity levels must be under
Superintendent of Plant 1,0 NTU ( Nephelometric Turbidity Units)
(1 mg /L = 0,80NTU ) in order to maximize
Minera Aurífera Retamas SA – Perú the contact area between Zn/(Au , Ag) to
recover, all this process is feasible with the
control of the variables that involve the
ABSTRACT
filtration cycle of the pregnant solution by
using clarifier filters and as a filter aid
This paper aims to show the results diatomaceous earth by its high permeability
obtained in Cia. Minera Ares SAC - properties and inert to the reaction with
Hochschild Mining Plc, During the tests gold and silver contained in the pregnant
carried out in optimizing the filtering cycle of solution.
pregnant solution with different types of
filter aid in the formation of precoat with
The problems that occur during the filtration
diatomaceous earth from 1,40 kg
2 of alkaline cyanide solutions are increased
diatomaceous earth/m to 0,35 kg
2 if they come from a stage of continuous
diatomaceous earth /m area filter and body
countercurrent decantation (CCD), which
feed of 22,70 kg diatomaceous earth/Hr to
bring impurities (solid non-compressible,
5,675 kg diatomaceous earth/Hr, and a
3 2 compressible, semi colloidal and colloidal),
filtration rate of 1,95 m /m /Hr, which has
greatly decreasing the metallurgical
allowed savings of 400% on average and
recovery of Merrill Crowe process during
minimize the toxicity due to content of silica
the stage of precipitation, especially
in the diatomaceous earth.
colloidal particles are in free movement is
electrically charged with negative sign and
The optimizing of the filtering cycle allowed have large surface, this makes it possible
us to obtain turbidity values in the pregnant that during the redox reaction these colloids
solution lower than 1 NTU what makes prevent the normal precipitation of Au and
possible maximize the contact area Ag ions . That is, the conduits for the gold
between the Zn /(Au, Ag) with a zinc and silver ions that are directed towards the
consumption of 0,70 – 0,80 Zn/(Au, Ag) area of high electric density as the
during the precipitation, after deoxygenating migration of Zn ions to the cyanide complex
of the clarified pregnant solution . Obtaining is interfered by the presence of these
metallurgical recoveries of 99,60% and colloids. Consequently this stage of the
99,95% average for gold and silver process generates high operative costs.
respectively in the Merrill-Crowe process; a
remarkable increase of the Merrill-Crowe
2. Objectives
precipitate quality higher than 90% of
metallic content of gold and silver and
diminution of operative costs from $5,18 to  Decrease the turbidity of the
$2,10/kg Dore. Which allowed us to pregnant solution.
improve the efficiency in the stages of  Decrease in filtered cycles.
retorting and smelting; minimal  Optimization of Merrill Crowe
consumptions, with policies of viable process.
development.
3. METHODOLOGY With both clarifiers filters in parallel, the
flow’s distribution of the pregnant solution is
From the beginning of the operations in 50% to each clarifier filter and considering
1998 the turbidity levels of the filtered Celite’s recommendations, in order to get
solution were 4,0 NTU in average using the precoat from 0,50 to 1,50 kg.
2
diatomaceous earth Diactiv-12 standard Diatomaceous earth /m of filter area, and
grade, permeability D’arcys = 0,8 and 4,3% the thickness of the precoat in the rank of
+ 150 Tyler Mesh and it obtained high 1,60 mm to 3,20 mm. During the tests were
consumption levels of this filter aid, and used diatomaceous earth dosages in order
very short filtrate cycles . The first attempts to get the precoat of 1,10; 0,70; and 0,35
2
in improving the filtrate cycle were oriented kg. Diatomaceous earth /m of filter area.
to use different types of filter aid, trying with
finer diatomaceous earth and less The best test results are obtained with 0,35
2
permeable such as Diactiv-14, Diactiv-15, kg diatomaceous earth/m of filter area, a
inclusively combined diatomaceous earth thickness of precoat of 1,10 mm, and a
with cellulose fiber like the Diactiv-12F, filtrate cycle of 32 hours of duration, being
without good results. Diatomaceous earth the turbidity exit average of the clarifier
were not used more grain size, because in filters of 2,80 NTU equivalent to an
these conditions the clarified pregnant efficiency of 81% referred to the quality of
solution, has high turbidity. filtered of the pregnant solution.

For 1999, the company increased its The graph 1 obtained results.
production, and the flow pregnant solution,
for the treatment in the refinery of 150 to
3
250 m /Hr being the biggest problem
because the clarifier filters are designed to
3
treat 170 m /Hr causing very short cycles of
filtered of pregnant solution.

Faced with this problem, designing a pilot


test schedule aimed at optimizing the
filtering cycle of the pregnant solution which
is made in two stages.

The first stage contemplates to operate with


two clarifiers filters in parallel that allows us The second stage of tests consists of
to extend the filtered area and different evaluating if the amount of Body Feed is
dosages of diatomaceous earth during the the appropriate. Because the dosification of
precoat formation. filter aid (body feed) during the filtration
cycle is vital to maintain the required
Table 1 - The testing conditions porosity in the filter cake, which is
translated in long filtration cycles, when
lowering the increase of the fall of internal
pressure of the clarifiers filters, and
maximizing the quality of filtered of the
pregnant solution.

The importance of obtaining filtered


solutions with smaller turbidity to 1 NTU is
for avoiding the presence of impurities of
the colloidal type, which cause an oxidation
effect related to zinc by retaining with
higher tenacity the oxygen which is not
released in the tower of deoxygenation, by At the end of the tests of dosification of
chemical action of the impurities (example body feed complementary to the first stage
floccules of Fe(OH)2 and other hydroxides of optimizing of the filter cycle of pregnant
produced by cyaniding of high pH 11 to 12), solution, filtered solutions were obtained
by means of this effect, the impurities will with a turbidity average 0,40 NTU in the
compete with metallic complexes cyanide clarifiers filters exit, being the efficiency of
by the reducing capacity of zinc during the the filters in this opportunity of 96,70%.
precipitation.
Graph 2 Test bodyfeed dosage
According to Celite, the amount of body
feed to be dosed must be equal to the total
suspended solids contained in the pregnant
solution to retire plus a 10% - 15% in
excess, this amount must be provided in
continuous and homogenous form.

A very low dosage of body feed will


produce a very fast clogging of the filter
cake and the reduction of the filtration
cycle.

An excessive dosage of body feed will not


increase the filter cake’s porosity but will
make shorter the filtrate cycle by diminution
of the effective area of filtration when At the end of the optimization tests of the
increasing the thickness of the filter cake. filtrate cycle of the pregnant solution, the
turbidity exit levels average of the clarifiers
Table 2 - The test conditions were from 4,0 to 0,40 NTU, this turbidity
value, has allowed to maximize the contact
area between the Zn/(Au, Ag) during the
precipitation process with zinc dust.

Graph 3 Quality filtered solution

About the diatomaceous earth consumption


in the formation of the precoat and
Taking into account these considerations, dosification of body feed, an important
the tests were carried out with different reduction in diatomaceous earth
body feed dosages that enters with the consumption we obtained from 5,70 kg
pregnant solution that feeds the clarifiers diatomaceous earth/kg Dore to 1,50 kg.
filters, that from beginning of the operations Diatomaceous earth/kg Dore, which means
were 22,70 kg diatomaceous earth/Hr; a 400% saving, lower costs and risk to staff
17,025 kg diatomaceous earth/Hr; 11,35 kg and to environment, because in its
diatomaceous earth/Hr; 5,675 kg composition it has more than 90% of silica.
diatomaceous earth/Hr.
Graph 4 Diatomaceous consumtion imply any problem for an efficient
precipitation.

So that the Merrill Crowe process is


efficient, besides a good clarification and
deoxygenation of the pregnant solution is
necessary that the amount of zinc to
precipitate is enough in order to have a
good metallurgical recovery, according to
reactions (1) and (2), for gold and silver
respectively.

From the beginning of the operations there


2.1 Merrill Crowe Process
was a zinc consumption of 1,70 Zn /(Au,
Ag), over the stoichiometric parameters
The precious metal precipitation with zinc 1,26 Zn/(Au, Ag, Hg) due to the turbidity
dust from alkaline solutions cyanide, it is problems of pregnant solution, which
based on that gold and silver are found in implied add zinc in excess, in order to
the opposite extreme to zinc in the guarantee a good metallurgical recovery of
electromotive series; therefore they are gold and silver in the Merrill Crowe process.
displaced electrochemically by this one last
from cyaniding solutions. In the month of march 2000, tests were
carried out in order to evaluate ratios of zinc
Additionally, the formation of the complex that allows us to find the optimal one,
2-
Zn (CN)4 happens with great ease, because the zinc excess used in the
allowing the complete replacement of gold precipitation brings as consequently a high
and silver cyanide complexes. concentration of zinc circulating in the
barren solution detrimental in the Merrill
The chemical reactions which describe the Crowe and cyanidation stages, precipitation
Merrill Crowe process for Gold and Silver of unwanted elements such as Cu, Fe, Ni;
are: besides the Zinc excess increases its
content in the precipitate causing problems
in the next smelting stage.

At the end of the zinc ratios evaluation


(1) during the precipitation, it was determined
that the optimal ratio is in the rank 0,70 -
2.2 Merrill Crowe Process Stages 0,80 Zn/(Au, Ag, Hg), it was influenced
directly by the low turbidity levels and
There are four stages: dissolved oxygen contained in the pregnant
solution.
 Pregnant Solution Clarification.
 Deoxygenation of the Pregnant
Solution Clarified.
 Addition of zinc dust to the pregnant
solution clarified and deoxygenated.
 Precipitated Filtration.

Concerning to deoxygenation to the


pregnant solution there are not any
important inconvenient, because the
vacuum tower gives us a deoxygenated
solution with an average of 0,20 mg/L in
dissolved oxygen, this amount does not
Graph 5 Ratio of Zinc Table 3 typical Merrill Crowe precipitate

The graph 7 increasing quality of Merrill


Crowe precipitate

The optimization of the parameters of the


stages of the Merrill Crowe process has
allowed significantly to improve the
metallurgical recovery from 98,66% to
99,60% for gold and from 99,01% to
99,95% for silver.

Graph 6 Metallurgical recovery of merill About the costs of the Merrill Crowe
crowe process process, there was an important reduction
in favor to the economy of the Company, in
1998 the costs of the Merrill Crowe process
were $5,18/kg Dore and with the
optimization of the process, the operating
costs were $2,10/kg Dore, being the saving
$3,08/kg Dore produced.

Graph 8 Merrill Crowe process cost

As a result of the optimization in the Merrill


Crowe process, it has increased remarkably
the quality of precipitate (Au + Ag), from 59,
63% in 1998 to over 90% of metal content
due to the prominent diminishing of zinc
amount than is added in excess to ensure
complete precipitation of gold and silver,
causing the precipitation of metals and
unwanted elements, wich contaminating the
precipitate.

All this is favorable for retorting and


smelting stages because in these stages
will have lower consumption of inputs and
fluxes in obtaining the bar Dore (Au + Ag),
with a metal content of 99,75%.
4. CONCLUSIONS Celite – Diactiv (1995) “Auxiliares
Filtrantes. México / Chile”, 5-11.
 Obtaining clarified pregnant
solutions with turbidity values Marquina J. and Zevallos F. (1999)
average 0,40 NTU, it was possible “Optimización del ciclo de filtrado de la
by operating with two clarifiers filters solución pregnant en Cía. Minera Ares SAC,
in parallel, using 0,35 kg Informe Técnico”.
2
diatomaceous earth/m of filter area
in the precoat form, and with a body Marquina J. (2003) “Optimización de la
feed dosage of 5,675 kg Planta Merrill Crowe – Fundición en Cía.
diatomaceous earth/Hr during the Minera Ares SAC. XXVI Convención Minera
filtrate cycle with an operative Arequipa, Perú”, Setiembre 15 – 19. 3-8.
efficiency of the clarifier filters of
96,70%, being the average filtrate Rodríguez J. (1998-2005) “Informes
cycle 32 hours. Mensual de Operaciones Cía. Minera Ares
SAC”.
 The optimization of the filtered cycle
allowed us to diminish the 6. APPENDIX
diatomaceous earth consumption
and a saving 400% moreover an Flow Sheet Ares´ Refinery
important saving in the operative
costs from $5,18/kg Dore to
$2,10/kg Dore produced in The
Merrill Crowe Process; also implies
an important risk diminution of
toxicity, because the diatomaceous
earth has a high silica content above
90%.

 The quality improvement of the


filtered pregnant solution, it allowed
us to maximize the contact area
between Zn/(Au, Ag) whose optimal
ratio after the tests was 0,70 – 0,80
Zn/(Au, Ag), and the recovery of
gold and silver in the Merrill Crowe
process were 99,60% and 99,95%
respectively and the quality of
precipitate (Au + Ag) over 90%.

5. REFERENCES

Yannopoulos J.C. (1991) “The Extractive


Metallurgy of Gold, Spanish translation by
Cárdenas A. Metalurgia Extractiva del
Oro”.(1): 236 – 240.

Álvarez E. (1998) “Filtración Auxiliada en


Merrill-Crowe. Boletín Técnico - Celite Corp.
Chile”, 1-4

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