Leaching Experiment of Gold (Au) Mineral

Introduction

Gold is a ductile metal that is highly valuable in the market. Nearly half of the production of gold is jewelry purposed, and around %10 of production is industrial. In addition, there are some properties that make gold precious. Some of them are being the most malleable metal, being a good heat and electricity conductor (Wikipedia, 2021). Some of the properties are in the table.

Some Properties of Gold

Note: Adapted from King, H. M. (n.d.-a). Gold Mineral Properties

About the Experiment

Pre-crushed and size-reduced gold mineral came to Hydrometallurgy Laboratory for leaching experiment. The gold mineral is subjected to leaching with different solid-liquid proportions. The liquid is chosen as cyanide. Although the pulp’s proportions are considered confidential information, they can not be clarified in this article. The leaching experiment is processed by using mechanical agitators for 24 hours. For balancing the pH, slaked lime is used. After 24 hours, the sample is drained in the Buhner Funnel, and samples are sent to analyze in the laboratory.

Gold Leaching With Mechanical Agitator

Powder Cyanide To Dissolve the Gold