STUDIES OF THE EFFECT OF ORE BLENDING AND CYANIDE CONCENTRATION

ON LEACHING OF GOLD ORE BY THE METHOD OF BOTTLE ROLL TEST

(Case Study: J Resources PT Sago Prima Pratama, Seruyung Site,
Nunukan District, North Borneo Province)

Muhammad Khabir*, Sufriadin*, Sri Widodo*

*)Mining Engineering Department, Hasanuddin University, Makassar 90245, Indonesia

ABSTRACT: Gold is a precious metal that can be used as the financial standard of a country because it
has a high economic value. There have been many separation processes (extractions) performed to
obtain gold from an ore, one of which is the process of leaching using cyanide by the method of bottle
roll test. The principle is based on the formation of a complex compound between gold contained in the
ore with a cyanide solution while rotated in a bottle roll machine, so that gold separated from the ore
forms a complex aurocyanide solution. To obtain maximum results, the leaching process should be done
under optimum conditions, so that the process can run efficiently that can be observed from the rate of
extracted gold. This study discusses the effect of ore blending composition and cyanide concentration
on process efficiency by comparing percent recovery from ore blending with 1 AB (50%) : 1 C HG/MG/LG
(50%), 2 AB (67 %) : 1 C HG/MG/LG (33%), and 3 AB (60%) : 2 C HG/MG/LG (40%) and with cyanide
concentrations of 500 ppm, 300 ppm and 100 ppm.
At a 500 ppm cyanide concentration yielded the highest recovery on ore blending 2 AB : 1 C MG with
69.91% and the lowest on ore blending 1 AB : 1 C LG with 38.96%, at 300 ppm cyanide concentration
yielded the highest recovery on ore blending 3 AB : 2 C MG with 66.75% and the lowest on ore blending
1 AB : 1 C LG with 34.55%, whereas at 100 ppm cyanide concentration yielded the highest recovery on
ore blending 2 AB : 1 C MG with 67.67% and the lowest on ore blending 1 AB : 1 C LG with 32.55%. It
shows that the optimum conditions resulted from the ore blending in the composition of 2 AB : 1 C
HG/MG/LG and the optimum condition at the amount of cyanide concentration of 500 ppm, which
resulted in the highest recovery rate average of 62.58%.

Keywords: Gold, leaching, cyanide, ore, and recovery.

1. PREFACE solution in acidic conditions (White and

The processing of gold ore in J Resources PT
Sago Prima Pratama Seruyung Site of North
Borneo is a method of heap leach. Heap leach is
a gold ore extraction process using cyanide
solution by applying dynamic leaching. Several
types of ore in PT Sago Prima Pratama are
rocky (domain AB) and sandy (domain CD). The
extracted ore is an ore that has been blended
with other ore types or called ore blending. But
for now, the ore extracted depends on the ore
produced from the pit so that there is no clear
composition ratio in the ore blending process.
Therefore, the authors conducted research on
leaching of gold ore with variation of
composition composition of ore blending and
cyanide concentration variation.
The high sulphide epithermal system is formed
from the reaction between the bedrock and the
magma is acidic and the fluid moves vertically.
The movement of this fluid is influenced by the
fault zone or fracture, the fluid flows rapidly
and mixes with meteoric water, resulting in the
Hedenquist, 1995; and Arribas, 1995). Types of
deposit in Seruyung include high sulfidation
epithermal deposits with alteration zones is
vuggy and massive silica, advance argillic and
argillic (Rura, et al., 2011).
In general stages of gold ore processing are
preparation, extraction, purification, and
bullion bar production (Dorey, et al., 1986). The
gold extraction with cyanidation consists of two
stages, namely the dissolution process and the
gold separation process from the solution (Yang,
et al., 2010; Yannopoulas, 1991; and Sudarsono,
2003). Heap leach is a process of extraction of
gold by pouring solvent chemicals into a pile of
ores (Heinen, et al., 1978). The extraction
process on the heap leach starts from stacking,
barren leach solution, irrigation, pregnant
leach solution, vessel and elution column
(Zanbak, 2012).
The purpose of this study was to determine the
effect of ore blending on the leaching process, to
analyze the comparison of recovery with

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variations of the blending composition of the ore
and the cyanide concentration of the leaching
results and to determine the optimal conditions
of the blending composition of the ore and the
cyanide concentration of the leaching results.
2. RESEARCH METHODS
2.1 Research Sites
This research was conducted at J Resources PT.
Sago Prima Pratama, Seruyung site. Here's a
map of the research location:
Figure 1. Map of Research Locations
2.2 Sample Preparation of Ores
The gold ore samples that have been taken on
the Seruyung site are AB domain, C High Grade
domain, C Medium Grade domain, and Low
Grade C domain.
Sample preparation begins by drying and
reducing the ore grain size up to 2 mm. Then
splitting to obtain a representative sample and
divide it into three are for analysis of Au content
of initial sample by atomic adsorption
spectrophotometry (AAS) method, for
permeability test sample with percolation test,
and for sample of ore leaching with bottle roll
test.
The samples for Au content analysis by AAS
method, smoothing the sample using milling
machine, then sieving to get 200 mesh grain
size.
2.3 Percolation Test
Percolation test in this study was conducted on
the sample of gold ore domain AB, domain C
HG, domain C MG, and domain C LG as well as
blending results from each domain with a ratio
of 1 AB: 1 C HG / MG / LG, 2 AB: 1 C HG / MG
/ LG, and 3 AB: 2 C HG / MG / LG each of 2.4
kg.
Weighted ore samples are fed into the mini
column test and then water is added to the
boundary line and if the water coming out of the
mini column test is clear then calculating the
percolation value of the sample can be started
with the help of the stopwatch and the
measuring flask. Percolation test is carried out
for 1 minute so that the amount of water
entering into the measuring flask becomes the
percolation value in unit time (mL / min).
2.4 Leaching with Bottle Roll Test
Bottle roll test (BRT) in this study was
conducted on the sample of gold ore domain AB,
domain C HG, domain C MG, and domain C LG
as well as blending results from each domain
with a ratio of 1 AB: 1 C HG / MG / LG, 2 AB: 1
C HG / MG / LG, and 3 AB: 2 C HG / MG / LG
each of 500 g.
The ore sample was introduced into the bottle
roll and added 1200 mL of water, lime for a pH
of 10.5 to 11, and NaCN of 0.60 g (500 ppm),
0.36 g (300 ppm), and 0.12 g (100 ppm) while
stirring using agitator.
Then start the bottle roll test for 24 hours by
checking the pH every 2 hours and adding lime
if the pH is less than 10.5. After the bottle roll
test is complete, the solution and tailing are
separated using filter press to check Au content.
2.5 Analysis of Au content with Atomic
Adsorption Spectrophotometry (AAS)
Method
Analysis of Au content by AAS method was done
on initial ore samples as well as on solution and
tailing of bottle-roll test results. The results of
Au content of solution and tailing are used as
initial data to perform recovery calculations
and determine optimal conditions on the
composition of ore blending and cyanide
concentration from leaching results.
3. RESULT AND DISCUSSION
3.1 Initial Ore Identification
Early ore identification is a check of the total Au
content contained in the ore (AuFA) and also
checks the Au content that can be extracted
using a cyanide solution (AuCN).
The following fire assay results for early ore
identification:
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Table 1. Results of Fire Assay on Early Ore 3.2.2. Value of percolation against ore blending
Samples 1 AB (50%): 1 C HG / MG / LG (50%)
AuFA AuCN
Sample ID QLT (%)
(ppm) (ppm)
AB 0,71 0,55 77
C HG 1,01 0,81 80
C MG 0,85 0,80 94
C LG 0,24 0,22 92

The AuFA and AuCN results, used for the

determination of the maximum percentage of
extractions using a cyanide solution or called a
quick leach test (QLT). Table 1 above shows the
Figure 3. Graph of Percolation Value of Ore
results of QLT calculations with the potential
Blending 1 AB: 1 C HG / MG / LG
success of the extraction process occurring in
the ore sample C MG with 94% and the lowest
Figure 3 shows that ore blending 1 AB : 1 C MG
in the ore sample AB by 77%. The fire assay
has the highest percolation value that is 190
results will provide information on the effect on
mL/min and the less is ore blending 1 AB : 1 C
the sample of the ore blending done by a certain
LG which is 149 mL/min.
composition ratio.
3.2.3. Value of percolation against ore blending
3.2 Percolation Test 2 AB (67%): 1 C HG / MG / LG (33%)
Percolation test is done to get the permeability
value of a material because if the value of a
material percolation is low then the
permeability value of the material is also low
and vice versa. The permeability value of an ore
will affect the leaching process of the heap leach
method so that it will affect the percent
recovery of leaching.

3.2.1 The value of percolation against the ore

domain
Figure 4. Graph of Percolation Value of Ore
Blending 2 AB: 1 C HG / MG / LG

Figure 4 shows that ore blending 2 AB : 1 C MG

has the highest percolation value that is 210
mL/min and the less is ore blending 2 AB : 1 C
LG which is 200 mL/min.

3.2.4. Value of percolation against ore blending

3 AB (60%): 2 C HG / MG / LG (40%)
Figure 2. Graph of Value of Ore Domain
Percolation

Figure 2 shows that the domain AB 100% has

the highest percolation value of 236 mL/min
and the less good is the domain C LG 100% that
is 15.2 mL/min. The percolation value is
influenced by the characteristics of each
material, such as the domain AB 100% which
has massive characteristics so that it is easy to
pass water to make the percolation value of the Figure 5. Graph of Percolation Value of Ore
material higher than C HG, C MG, and C LG. Blending 3 AB: 2 C HG / MG / LG

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Figure 5 shows that the ore blending 3 AB : 2 C 3.4 Calculation of Gold Recovery
MG has the highest percolation value of 197
mL/min and the less is ore blending 3 AB : 2 C Gold recovery is calculated by determining the
LG which is 174 mL/min. grade Au of each sample first. Here's the
formula used to determine the grade of the
3.3. Bottle Roll Test and Fire Assay Analysis sample:
(Atomic Adsorption Spectrophotometry f = C.c + T.t
Method) F
Bottle roll test (BRT) is one tool for small Information, f = sample grade (ppm)
leaching process and can be done in much less F = sample weight (kg)
space, materials and solutions to find out how C = volume of solution (Liter)
the leaching process in certain types of ore or c = grade of solution (ppm)
ore blending. T = tailing weight (kg)
t = grade of tailing (ppm)
The leachate sample with bottle roll test was
inserted into the filter press to separate the After obtaining the grade grade Au of each
solution (concentrate) and tailing, then sample, the value is entered into the recovery
analyzed fire assay by AAS method. calculation formula, as below:

Table 2. Result of Fire Assay on BRT Samples R = C . c x 100%

Cyanide 500 ppm Cyanide 300 ppm Cyanide 100 ppm F.f
Sample ID Au in Au in Au in Au in Au in Au in
Solution Tailing Solution Tailing Solution Tailing Information, R = Recovery (%)
(ppm) (ppm) (ppm) (ppm) (ppm) (ppm)
AB 0,28 0,25 0,26 0,25 0,24 0,23
HG 0,33 0,09 0,34 0,16 0,32 0,18 Recovery calculation results can be seen in
LG 0,11 0,04 0,08 0,04 0,08 0,05 Table 3. Recovery obtained is Au recovery
MG 0,29 0,08 0,30 0,08 0,31 0,09 before conversion because the recovery has not
1 AB / 1 HG 0,34 0,25 0,33 0,27 0,33 0,29 yet described the leachability of heap leach
2 AB / 1 HG 0,26 0,20 0,35 0,26 0,31 0,35 method. To obtain recovery Au which can
3 AB / 2 HG 0,27 0,18 0,28 0,21 0,28 0,20
describe the state of heap leach method, then
1 AB / 1 LG 0,14 0,21 0,15 0,29 0,10 0,23
2 AB / 1 LG 0,21 0,29 0,18 0,26 0,17 0,26
the conversion takes into account the
3 AB / 2 LG 0,19 0,26 0,28 0,38 0,22 0,28 permeability of the ore so using percolation
1 AB / 1 MG 0,31 0,17 0,33 0,17 0,29 0,22 value to obtain the conversion factor. Sample
2 AB / 1 MG 0,28 0,18 0,35 0,30 0,34 0,26 AB 100% that has the highest percolation value
3 AB / 2 MG 0,27 0,22 0,32 0,19 0,35 0,22 is considered to be perfectly extracted on the
heap leach method so that the percolation value
Table 2 above shows the Au content of the is used as a reference to obtain conversion factor
solution and tailing of each cyanide in other samples by the value of other
concentration of 500 ppm, 300 ppm, and 100 percolation samples divided by the percolation
ppm of leaching results with a bottle roll test. value of AB 100% and then make a percent.
The Au content of the solution and tailing will Then to get the Au recovery after conversion, we
be the reference data for calculating the Au can do the recovery between Au before
content in each sample and the recovery conversion with conversion factor.
calculation.
Table 3. Recovery Calculation Results After Conversion
Recovery Before Conversion (%) Percolation Recovery After Conversion (%)
Conversion
Sample ID Value
Cyanide 500 ppm Cyanide 300 ppm Cyanide 100 ppm Factor (%) Cyanide 500 ppm Cyanide 300 ppm Cyanide 100 ppm
(mL/min)
AB 72,96 71,48 71,11 236 100 72,96 71,48 71,11
HG 89,85 83,48 81,11 19,8 8,39 7,54 7 6,8
LG 86,52 82,21 79,74 15,2 6,44 5,57 5,29 5,14
MG 89,66 89,94 89,21 132 55,93 50,15 50,31 49,9
1 AB / 1 HG 76,76 74,52 73,14 183 77,54 59,52 57,78 56,71
2 AB / 1 HG 75,37 76,57 67,8 202 85,59 64,51 65,54 58,03
3 AB / 2 HG 77,94 76,45 77 192 81,36 63,41 62,19 62,64
1 AB / 1 LG 61,71 54,72 51,56 149 63,14 38,96 34,55 32,55
2 AB / 1 LG 62,92 62,17 60,38 200 84,75 53,32 52,68 51,17
3 AB / 2 LG 64,05 63,71 65,14 174 73,73 47,22 46,97 48,03
1 AB / 1 MG 81,3 82,33 75,73 190 80,51 65,45 66,28 60,97
2 AB / 1 MG 78,57 73,85 76,05 210 88,98 69,91 65,71 67,67
3 AB / 2 MG 74,51 79,97 79,1 197 83,47 62,2 66,75 66,03

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3.4.1 Recovery after conversion (cyanide
concentration 500 ppm)

AB Composition
Recovery
AB Composition
Recovery

Figure 8. Graph of percent recovery

Figure 6. Graph of percent recovery relationship
with ore blending
Figure 6 shows the highest recovery in the ore
blending 2 AB: 1 C MG sample with a recovery
value of 69.91% and the lowest recovery was
shown on the sample of ore blending 1 AB: 1 C
of LG with a recovery value of 38.96%.
3.4.2. Recovery after conversion (300 ppm
cyanide concentration)
relationship with ore blending
Figure 8 shows the highest recovery on the 2nd
AB ore blending sample: 1C MG with a recovery
value of 67.67% and the lowest recovery was
shown on the 1 ore blending sample AB: 1C LG
with a recovery value of 32.55%.
Figures 6, 7 and 8 show all samples yielding a
trendline explaining that the more AB
composition or the less composition C HG / MG
/ LG in the ore blending process the higher
percent recovery is produced because the AB
domain having good permeability makes the
cyanide solution Have a great opportunity to
contact with ores maximally.

3.5 Determination of Optimum Condition of

AB Composition

Leach Result
Recovery

3.5.1. The recovery value of each ore domain

Figure 7. Graph of percent recovery

relationship with ore blending

Figure 7 shows the highest recovery in the AB

ore blending 3 AB: 2 C MG sample with a
recovery value of 66.75% and the lowest
recovery was shown on the sample of ore
Figure 9. Recovery Domain Ore Graph
blending 1 AB: 1 C LG with a recovery value of
34.55%.
Figure 9 shows that in sample domain ore,
which has the highest recovery percentage is
3.4.3 Recovery after conversion (100 ppm
domain AB and cyanide concentration 500 ppm
cyanide concentration)
with recovery 72,96% while lowest is LG C
domain and cyanide concentration 100 ppm
with recovery 5,14%.

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3.5.2. The recovery value of each ore blending
1 AB (50%): 1 C HG / MG / LG (50%)
Figure 10. Graph of Recovery Value Each Ore
blending 1 AB: 1 C HG / MG / LG
Figure 10 shows that in the ore blending sample
the composition of 1 AB: 1 C HG / MG / LG,
which has the highest percent recovery ie ore
blending 1 AB: 1 C MG and 300 ppm cyanide
concentration with 66.28% recovery while the
lowest is ore blending 1 AB: 1 C LG and 100
ppm cyanide concentration with recovery of
32.55%. The average recovery result in ore
blending of composition 1 AB: 1 C HG / MG / LG
at cyanide concentration 500 ppm ie 54.65%; At
300 ppm sainida concentration that is 52,87%
and at 100 ppm cyanide concentration that is
50,08%.
3.5.3. Value of recovery against ore blending 2
AB (67%): 1 C HG / MG / LG (33%)
Figure 11. Graph of Recovery Value Each Ore
blending 2 AB: 1 C HG / MG / LG
Figure 11 shows that in the ore blending sample
the composition of 2 AB: 1 C HG / MG / LG,
which has the highest recovery percentage of
ore blending 2 AB: 1 C MG and 500 ppm cyanide
concentration with recovery of 69.91% while the
lowest is ore blending 2 AB: 1 C LG and 100
ppm cyanide concentration with recovery
51.17%. The average recovery result in ore
blending of 2 AB: 1 C HG / MG / LG at cyanide
concentration of 500 ppm was 62,58%; At 300
ppm sainida concentration that is 61,31% and
at 100 ppm cyanide concentration that is
58,96%. Looking at all recovery calculations,
the optimum condition for blending ore
blending is the composition of 2 AB: 1 C HG /
MG / LG in the amount of 500 ppm cyanide
concentration.
3.5.4. Value of recovery against ore blending 3
AB (60%): 2 C HG / MG / LG (40%)
Figure 12. Graph of Recovery Value Each Ore
blending 3 AB: 2 C HG / MG / LG
Figure 12 shows that in the ore blending sample
the composition of AB 3: 2 C HG / MG / LG,
which has the highest recovery percentage of 3
AB AB / 2 C MG and 300 ppm cyanide with
recovery of 66.75% while the lowest is ore
blending 3 AB: 2 C LG and 300 ppm cyanide
concentration with a recovery of 46.97%. The
average recovery result in ore blending of AB 3
composition: 2 C HG / MG / LG at cyanide
concentration of 500 ppm ie 57.61%; At 300 ppm
sainida concentration that is 58,64% and at 100
ppm cyanide concentration that is 58,90%.
4. CONCLUSION
Based on the results of data processing
performed then it can be concluded as follows:
1. The process of blending ore or ore blending,
making the ore condition also changed one of
them permeability of ore.
2. At 500 ppm cyanide concentration yielded
highest recovery with ore blending 2 AB: 1 C
MG ie 69,91%, at 300 ppm cyanide
concentration with ore blending 3 AB: 2 C
MG ie 66.75%, while at 100 ppm cyanide
concentration with Ore blending 2 AB: 1 C
MG ie 67.67%.
3. The optimum condition of blending ore is 2
AB: 1 C HG / MG / LG and 500 ppm cyanide
concentration, with recovery rate of 62,58%.
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5. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The author would like to thank J Resources PT.
Sago Prima Pratama who has facilitated the
authors to carry out this research and to all
Mining Engineering Lecturers of Hasanuddin
University as well as LBE Friends of Materials
Analysis and Processing Galian for his help
during this research took place.
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Cannada: Queens University.
Heinen, H.J., Peterson, D.G., and Lindstrom,
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