Author(s)

Anderson Mlaki, Jamidu Katima, Henry Kimweri

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The present work is focused on the performance of three types of coal-oil agglomerates on recovery of liberated gold from gold bearing materials. Pre-formed agglomerates developed using bio-diesel, castor oil and mineral diesel as liquid hydrophobic phases were used in the study. The influence of the type of liquid hydrophobic phase on the degree of gold recovery and the effect of factors such as gold particle concentration, viscosity, agglomerate size, agglomerate/ore ratios and particle penetration into agglomerates have been studied as a function of time. It is shown that gold recovery rate can be increased by an increase in agglomerate loading, surface area and the viscosity of the hydrophobic phase and high recoveries are attained up to 98.5%. Increase in concentration of gold particles per unit volume of slurry increased attachment rate but did not change the final recoveries attained. It is shown that gold particle penetration occurs mainly in the coarse agglomerates if contact is prolonged beyond 60 minutes. Examination of sections of gold-loaded agglomerates under reflected light microscope showed gold and some silicate particles penetrated in few cracked agglomerates and only gold particles were observed inside the uncracked agglomerates suggesting the possibility of gold selectivity during particles penetration. It was shown that the increase in gold recovery attained at prolonged contact time is due to both gold penetration and oleophilic attachment.

Pre-Formed Agglomerates, Selective Gold Penetration, Oleophilic Attachment

A. Mlaki, J. Katima and H. Kimweri, "Gold Recovery from Gold Bearing Materials Using Bio-Diesel, Vegetable Oils and Coal," Engineering, Vol. 3 No. 5, 2011, pp. 555-560. doi: 10.4236/eng.2011.35065.