Investigation on the Effects of Various Factors on the
Dissolution and Recovery of Gold from a Dore Ore
Bea Cristine T. Ledesma
Department of Mining, Metallurgical, and Materials Engineering
University of the Philippines Diliman
Quezon City, Philippines
btledesma@up.edu.ph
Abstract— A gold occurrence test is performed on ores
bearing gold to determine the amount of gold that can be
recovered and to propose optimum ways in generating an
appropriate process flow. In this experiment, the effect of
various factors – percent solids, cyanide strength, and agitation
– were investigated and analyzed. Cyanidation of gold was done
by varying these factors: (a) 35% and 45% solids, (b) 0.25% and
0.05% cyanide concentration, and (c) with and without
agitation. Agitation leaching was performed with a bottle roller
set at 130 revolutions per minute. 45mL aliquots were obtained
every 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 9th, 12th, 18th, 24th, 36th, and 48th
hour and were then titrated with silver nitrate using NaOH-KI
as the indicator. Dissolved oxygen was introduced to the system
with air through the holes in the cover of the bottles. A second
cyanidation was performed to determine the amount of locked
gold in the ore. Results showed that an increase in cyanide
concentration and the presence of agitation led to an increase in
the recovery of gold. Possible sources of error may be from the
improper solutions preparation, unclear titration endpoint,
differing percent solids, and degradation of cyanide during the
whole duration of the experiment.
Index Terms—Gold Occurrence Test, Cyanidation of Gold,
Leaching Kinetics, Agitation, Percent (%) Solids, Cyanide
Strength
I. INTRODUCTION
The element gold, Au, is classified as a noble metal due to
its inert properties when it comes to chemical reactions in non-
complex media. It is noted for its inertness, but it does react
with numerous reagents (Srithammavut, 2008). It is
commonly found in host minerals such as calaverite (AuTe2),
montbroyite (Au2Te3), and sylvanite (AuAgTe4) in varying
concentrations. It also occurs in association with other
minerals such as sulfide and copper (Marsden and House,
2006). These gold-bearing materials may be classified into
primary ores and secondary materials. Primary ores are those
that contain gold as a result of active ore-deposit forming
systems like free-milling ores, tellurides, placers, sulfides.
Secondary materials on the other hand are mineral processing
by-products like tailings and recycled gold (Marsden and
House, 2006).
Cyanidation of Gold
There are several methods in extracting gold from these
minerals, such as amalgamation, gravity concentration,
Ledesma, B. C. T. (2019)
flotation, and leaching. The leaching of gold using cyanide
solutions is by far the most widely used metallurgical process
in the extraction of gold, despite some concerns over the
toxicity of cyanide (de Andrade Lima and Hodouin, 2006). It
has been used for more than a century in the metallurgical
industry due to its relatively low cost and relatively high gold
recovery. Modified gold occurrent tests are done to determine
the amount of free cyanidable gold found in the ore. Simple
cyanide salts such as sodium cyanide (NaCN) have been
widely used as sources of cyanidation (Srithammavut, 2008).
In order to form their respective metal cation, they dissolve
and ionize in water. Free cyanide ions (CN-) are also present.
NaCN ⇋ Na+ + CN − (1)
The free cyanide ions have the tendency to form hydrogen
cyanide (HCN) which is a toxic gas. At pH = 9.3, half exists
as hydrogen cyanide, while the remaining half exists as free
cyanide ions. At pH values higher than 9.3, the total cyanide
solutions exist greatly as free cyanide ions (Marsden and
House, 2006) (Srithammavut, 2008). Therefore, protective
alkalinity should always be maintained. Furthermore, the
probable occurrence of undesirable reactions is high because
both hydrogen cyanide and free cyanide can be oxidized to
form cyanate (CNO-) which does not dissolve gold and results
to a reduction in free cyanide concentration (Marsden and
House, 2006).
For gold dissolution to take place, gold oxidation should
occur first. Gold is known to be inert, but in the presence of a
suitable complexing agent like cyanide, it is oxidized and
dissolved to form the stable complex ion Au(CN)− 2 (Marsden
and House, 2006; de Andrade Lima and Hodouin, 2006).
2Au + 4CN− + O2 + 2H2 O ⇋ 2Au(CN)− −
2 + 2OH + 𝐻2 𝑂2 (2)
2Au + 4CN− + 𝐻2 𝑂2 ⇋ 2Au(CN)−
2 + 2OH
−
(3)
The reduction of oxygen occurs, thus forming hydrogen
peroxide as an intermediate product in the first step and
becomes the oxidizing agent in the second step – leading to
the chemical reactions above which proceed in parallel
(Marsden and House, 2006; de Andrade Lima and Hodouin,
2006).
Page 1 of 11
 The summation of Equations 2 and 3 is presented in
Equation 4, more commonly known Elsner’s equation and is
the basis for the reaction mechanism of gold cyanidation
(Marsden and House, 2006).

4 Au + 8 CN − + O2 + 2 H2 O ⇋ 4 Au(CN)− −
2 + 4 OH (4)

Factors Affecting Cyanidation of Gold

As per the reaction kinetics, there are several major factors
that affect the dissolution of gold. These are:

 Cyanide Concentration
 Oxygen Concentration Figure 1. Effect of Temperature on Dissolution Rate of Gold

 Temperature
However, the use of high temperature is only applicable to
 pH
high-grade ores since increasing the temperature when
 Particle Size treating low-grade ores will only accelerate the decomposition
 Degree of Agitation and Mass Transport of cyanide (Marsden and House, 2006).
 Gold Purity
 Presence of Other Ions

Oxygen is one of the key reagents in the cyanidation of

gold, as presented in Equation 4 (Srithammavut, 2008). It may
be supplied to the leaching system by air, enriched air or pure
oxygen. A large amount of small oxygen bubbles dispersed in
the system for a sufficient period of time gives adequate
oxygen concentration for gold dissolution (Ellis and
Senanayake, 2004; Srithammavut, 2008). Thus, increasing the
dissolved oxygen concentration increases the rate of
dissolution (Marsden and House, 2006; Ellis and Senanayake,
2004).
Cyanide concentration affects the rate of gold leaching, as
seen on Equation 4. The rate of gold leaching increases with
increasing cyanide concentration but becomes independent of
cyanide concentration when it exceeds 0.06% NaCN –
600ppm in equivalent (Ellis and Senanayake, 2004). Excess
cyanide will result to unnecessary cyanide consumption and Figure 2. Eh-pH diagram of Gold-Cyanide System
has no beneficial effect on the extraction of gold. Moreover,
excess cyanide will lead to the consumption of more cyanide The dissolution rate of gold is also affected by pH. From
due to the formation of cyanocomplexes from impurities the Eh-pH diagram of the gold-cyanide system shown above,
found in the system (Marsden and House, 2006). is maximized at pH values between 9.0-9.5 However,
Temperature also influences cyanidation. An increase in decreasing pH leads to the formation of hydrogen cyanide.
temperature leads to an increase in gold dissolution as well, Above pH=9.5, gold dissolution is not entirely affected by the
but only up to a maximum of 85oC. Above this temperature, pH anymore. The dissolution of gold is expected to reduce as
oxygen solubility decreases and outweighs the benefits of pH increases because the adsorption of the OH- ion onto the
increased ionic activity and diffusion rates (Marsden and gold surface decreases the available surface for cyanide
House, 2006). This trend can be seen on Figure 1 below. leaching (Marsden and House, 2006; Srithammavut, 2008).
Particle size improves the rate of gold dissolution. Smaller
particle size leads to an increase in contact surface are between
the solid and liquid (Srithammavut, 2008). This relationship
is seen on Figure 3 below.

Ledesma, B. C. T. (2019) Page 2 of 11


Figure 3. Effect of Particle Size on Dissolution of Gold
Agitation also affects gold leaching and is one of the
important factors since the rate of gold dissolution is
dependent on the diffusion layer thickness and mixing
characteristics of the bulk solution (Marsden and House,
2006; Srithammavut, 2008). Agitation should therefore be
sufficient to suspend all the particles in the slurry. Increase in
the agitation speed enhances dissolution rate since it improves
mass transfer rates of cyanide and oxygen (Ellis and
Senanayake, 2004). It also decreases the layer thickness and
increases the homogeneity of the system (Marsden and House,
2006). This increased effect on the dissolution of gold can ve
seen on the figure below.
Figure 4. Effect of Agitation Rate and Dissolved Oxygen Concentration
on Gold Dissolution
Slurry density also has an effect on the leaching of gold.
At low slurry densities, the mass transport phenomena is
maximized (Marsden and House, 2006). On the contrary, high
slurry densities increase retention time and reagent
consumption during the leaching process.
The presence of other metal ions also affects the
dissolution of gold. Pure gold dissolves much more slowly as
compared to when it is alloyed with silver, of when it contains
minor amounts of other metals (Marsden and House, 2006).
Ledesma, B. C. T. (2019)
Presence of cyanicides may cause an increase in the
consumption of cyanide.
The experiment aims to determine the occurrence of gold
in a given mineral ore sample – a dore sample in this case. The
obtained results will then be utilized to investigate and
evaluate the effects cyanide strength, % solids, and agitation
on the leaching of gold using cyanide solutions.
II. METHODOLOGY
The experiment is divided into three parts – Solution
Preparation, First Cyanidation, and Second Cyanidation. The
reagents needed are AgNO3 for titration, NaOH and KI for
the indicator, NaCN for the cyanidation, lime for the pH
monitoring, and phenolphthalein and oxalic acid for the
determination of the protective alkalinity of the final solution.
Solution preparation
Necessary reagents were prepared for this experiment.
Cyanide solutions were prepared from ground NaCN solids.
The standard AgNO3 solution was prepared by weighing
4.33g of AgNO3 solids and dissolving this in 1000mL
deionized water. For the indicator, 4g of NaOH and 1g of KI
were dissolved in 100mL deionized water.
First Cyanidation
The gold ore bulk sample was weighed and sieved at 200
mesh with 80% passing size. Appropriate sampling
techniques were then performed to obtain six (6) 500g gold
ore samples. The cyanide solutions were then prepared while
making sure that the pH range is within 10-11. Lime is added
to maintain this pH range. It is important to maintain this pH
range to avoid the formation of the hazardous HCN gas. The
conditions for each setup are found in Table I.
TABLE I. DESIGN OF EXPERIMENT
CN
Setup % Solids Concent Agitation
ration
1 35 0.25% Y
2 45 0.25% Y
3 35 0.05% Y
4 45 0.05% Y
5 35 0.25% N
6 45 0.25% N
The prepared samples are then placed in amber bottles.
Amber bottles are used instead of clear bottles to avoid the
degradation of cyanide. Setups which needed agitation are
placed on the bottle roller with a set speed of 130 revolutions
per minute. The cyanidation started at the zeroth hour. 45mL
aliquot were taken at hourly intervals: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 12,
18, 24, 36, and 48. The obtained aliquot was filtered into an
Erlenmeyer flask. 20mL of the filtrate was used for gold
analysis using XRF, while the remaining 25mL was used to
Page 3 of 11
check for the cyanide strength of the leaching solution. This
was done by titrating the aliquot with the standard AgNO3
solution using the prepared NaOH-KI as indicator. AgNO3
measures the amount of the remaining free cyanide ions in the
solution. AgNO3 was used in this experiment as silver
complexes with the free cyanide ions found in the solution
through the reaction below:
𝐴𝑔+ + 𝐶𝑁 − ⇌ [𝐴𝑔(𝐶𝑁)2 ]−
The endpoint is noted with a yellowish turbidity in the
solution, which is a result of the formation of cyanoargentate
in the solution. The %CN and volume of CN present in the
solution can be calculated using the equations below.
%𝑪𝑵 𝒊𝒏 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒔𝒐𝒍𝒖𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏
0.01% 𝐶𝑁
= (𝑣𝑜𝑙.𝐴𝑔𝑁𝑂3 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑢𝑚𝑒𝑑 𝑖𝑛 𝑡𝑖𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛) (
𝑚𝐿 𝐴𝑔𝑁𝑂3
𝒎𝑳 𝑪𝑵 𝒊𝒏 𝒔𝒐𝒍𝒖𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏
(𝑚𝐿 𝑠𝑜𝑙′ 𝑛 𝑚𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑑)(%𝐶𝑁 𝑚𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑑)
= (3)
%𝐶𝑁 𝑜𝑓 𝑚𝑎𝑘𝑒−𝑢𝑝 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛
It is important to note that an amount of make-up cyanide
solution and water is added every time a 45mL aliquot is
obtained. This is done to maintain the concentration and
volume of the needed cyanide solution in the setup. The
equations below are used to determine the needed amount of
make-up solution and water.
𝒎𝑳 𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒆 − 𝒖𝒑 𝑪𝑵 𝒏𝒆𝒆𝒅𝒆𝒅
{[(𝑚𝐿 𝑜𝑓 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑚𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑑)(%𝐶𝑁 𝑚𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑑)]−
[(𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑐𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛)(%𝐶𝑁 𝑖𝑛 𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛)]}
=
%𝐶𝑁 𝑜𝑓 𝑚𝑎𝑘𝑒−𝑢𝑝 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛
𝒎𝑳 𝒐𝒇 𝒘𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒏𝒆𝒆𝒅𝒆𝒅
= 𝑚𝐿 𝑜𝑓 𝑎𝑙𝑖𝑞𝑢𝑜𝑡 𝑡𝑎𝑘𝑒𝑛 𝑜𝑢𝑡 − 𝑚𝐿 𝑜𝑓 𝑚𝑎𝑘𝑒 − 𝑢𝑝 𝐶𝑁 𝑛𝑒𝑒𝑑𝑒𝑑 (5)
Furthermore, protective alkalinity should also be checked.
The pH of the leaching solutions must be maintained at 10-11.
Lime should be added as needed.
At the 48th hour, the experiment was stopped and another
50mL sample is taken for cyanide and alkalinity test. The pulp
was filtered and the volume of the filtrate was recorded. The
residue was washed three (3) times with deionized water,
dried, and weighed. The gold content of the residue was
determined by AAS analysis. The % recovery was then
determined using the equation below.
%𝑅𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑦
(𝐴𝑠𝑠𝑎𝑦 𝑜𝑓 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑎𝑓𝑡𝑒𝑟 48 ℎ𝑟𝑠)(𝑚𝐿 𝑓𝑖𝑙𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑒)
= 𝑥100 (6)
ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑑 𝑎𝑠𝑠𝑎𝑦
To determine the protective alkalinity of the final solution, an
excess of AgNO3 was added to the sample titrated after 48
hours.
Second Cyanidation
Ledesma, B. C. T. (2019)
For this part of the experiment, the dried leach residues
of setups 1 and 2 were used. The samples were weighed and
roasted for 7 hours in a muffle furnace. 0.25% NaCN solution
was prepared for the 35% solids v/v setups. The setups were
then subjected to agitated leaching for 48 hours using a bottle
roller. The setups were then filtered, and the leach residue
was washed with deionized water thrice. The leach residue
was then oven-dried, and a 10-gram sample was obtained and
(1) was subjected to an XRF test to determine the total gold
content.
Waste Disposal
Proper waste disposal was properly observed since the
experiment utilized cyanide, which is considered toxic. The
titrated filtrate and assayed samples, all of which containing
cyanide, were disposed in a large container. Lime was added
) (2) to increase the pH and to avoid the production of HCN gas.
Sodium metabisulfate (Na2S2O5) was also added for the
decomposition of cyanide.
III. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
In this experiment, the occurrence of gold in a given dore
sample was determined. The head assay of the dore sample
was obtained using X-Ray Fluorescence and the results are
shown in Figure 5.
(4)
Figure 5. XRF Analysis of Dore Sample
From the figure, it shows that the assayed dore sample has
relatively high amounts of silver (Ag) and gold (Au) as
compared to the other metals found in the sample.
First Cyanidation
The effects of various factors such as cyanide strength, %
solids, and agitation are also studied. Based on the design of
experiment given, certain setups were compared to determine
whether the aforementioned factors did influence the leaching
of gold. The percent recoveries of the different setups were
calculated
Page 4 of 11
 The first factor to be evaluated is the % solids. For this
factor, setups 1 and 2 and setups 3 and 4 were compared. This
pairing was done since these setups have cyanide strength and
agitation as constant factors. From this, the effect of % solids
on the leaching of gold will then be determined.
Figure 6. Effect of % Solids on the Gold Recovery of Setups 1 & 2
Setup 1’s % solids is set at 35% while the other is set at
45%. From the figure, the trends for both setups are both
increasing, with very minimal difference. The only observable
difference is at T=6hrs, which may have been an error
incurred during experimentation. Figure A1 also shows that
there is a negligible difference in the trend for setups 3 and 4.
Figure A1 can be found in the Appendix section. Sources say,
however, that an increase in the slurry’s % solids leads to an
increase in the slurry’s density, thereby making it more
viscous. This then leads to an increase in the retention time of
the slurry in the leaching tank/bottle, and so mass transport is
minimized.
The next factor evaluated was cyanide strength. Setups 1
and 3 and setups 2 and 4 were compared to determine the
effect of cyanide strength on the leaching of gold.
Figure 7. Effect of Cyanide Strength on the Gold Recovery of Setups 1 & 3
From the figure, a trend can be observed. Setup 1, with
cyanide concentration at 0.25%, has a higher recovery than
setup 3 which has a cyanide concentration at 0.05%. There
may be outliers as observed from the figure, but the difference
in recoveries of both setups are significantly large enough,
compared to the previous figures presented. Figure A2 also
Ledesma, B. C. T. (2019)
shows that setup 2 (with 0.25% CN) has a higher recovery as
compared to setup 4 (with 0.05% CN). With the increase in
cyanide concentration, the dissolution of gold increase as well
since there are more cyanide ions that will complex with the
gold in the system. However, an optimum amount of cyanide
concentration should be observed since an excess in cyanide
will yield to unnecessary cyanide consumption (Marsden and
House, 2006).
Agitation was the next factor to be evaluated. Setups 5 and
6 were subjected to leaching without agitation, while setups
1-4 underwent leaching with agitation. To evaluate the effect
of agitation on the leaching of gold, setups 1 and 5 were
compared, as well as setups 2 and 6.
Figure 8. Effect of Agitation on the Gold Recovery of Setups 1 & 5
From the figure above, there is a significantly large
difference in the recoveries of both setups. Setup 1, which
underwent leaching with agitation, has a higher gold recovery
compared to setup 3 which underwent leaching with no
agitation at all. Figure A3, which compared the gold
recoveries of setups 2 & 6, also shows that setup 2 (with
agitation) has a higher gold recovery than setup 6 (no
agitation). Agitation increases the dissolution of gold since the
dissolution of gold is mass transport controlled (Marsden and
House, 2006). Furthermore, agitation introduces oxygen into
the system, and oxygen drives the reaction mechanism
forward. The results also showed that setups which underwent
agitated leaching showed a significantly shorter time of
dissolving gold as compared to the ones subjected to non-
agitated leaching.
Shrinking core models were then generated to determine
the leaching mechanism and kinetics of the process. Different
models were generated: Mass Transfer Boundary Layer,
Product Layer Diffusion, and Chemical Rate Controlled.
Figure 9 shows the shrinking core model for setup 1.
Page 5 of 11

Figure 9. Shrinking Core Model of Setup 1
In order to determine the rate-determining step, the R2
values are compared. The figure above showed a low R2
value, but it shows that the highest R2 turned out to be Mass
Transfer Boundary Layer (MTBL) model. This suggests that
the leaching reaction mechanism between gold and cyanide
takes place on the surface of the ore. The theoretical kinetic
process of leaching is mass transport, and the results have
shown this for setup 1. However, looking at the models for the
different setups (see Figures 9.1-9.5 in Appendix), the
obtained models are product layer diffusion.
A statistical analysis in the form of a two-way analysis of
variance was done to determine whether cyanide strength and
% solids have significant effects on the recovery of gold. The
analysis may be seen on Figure 10. Since the analysis of
variance done showed no significant effect on all the factors
and factor-interactions, graphical comparison was done
instead.
Second Cyanidation
The amount of locked gold in the ore was determined
through roasting and leaching. The mechanism involved is
shown in Equation 7 below, where M can either be lead (Pb),
copper (Cu), or zinc (Zn).
2MS + 3O2 ⇌ 2MO + SO2 (7)
Table II below shows the percent gold recovery and
percent locked gold for every setup.
TABLE II. RESULTS OF SECOND CYANDATION
Setup % Recovery % Locked Au
1 0.039437171 8.038708573
2 0.016901645 1.960904718
Sources of Error
Discrepancies in the actual results obtained from the
theoretical results may have sprung from the possible errors
committed during the whole duration of the experiment –
solution preparation, first cyanidation, and second
cyanidation. Errors in the solution preparation may have been
Ledesma, B. C. T. (2019)
due to the miscalculations brought about by the units used (i.e.
v/v, w/w, w/v, etc.). This may have resulted to errors on the
obtained recoveries of gold during the experimentation.
Cyanide degradation also posed as a source of error during
the experiment. A yellowish color of the cyanide solution was
observed, and this may have been a sign of degradation.
Degradation of cyanide will lead to unwanted effects on the
recovery of gold. Moreover, this yellowish color may also
affect the determination of the endpoint when it comes to
titration. Overtitration may mostly happen, since the expected
endpoint was the filtrate’s turbidity, yet there was difficulty in
determining this since the filtrate’s color is not clear as
expected.
The pulp density of the setups may not have been constant
since the filtered solids during titration are not completely
returned to the system.
IV. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
The effect of various factors - % solids, cyanide strength,
and agitation were observed in this study. Results showed that
the recoveries of the setups with both high and low % solids
were similar. Errors may be attributed to the unforeseen
changes in % solids throughout the experiment since the
filtered solids during titration are not completely returned to
the leach system since there are residues left on the filter
paper. High recovery was also observed at increasing cyanide
concentration since more cyanide ions are available to leach
gold from the ore. Moreover, these high gold recoveries were
obtained at lower retention times. Presence of agitation during
leaching significantly affected the rate of dissolution of gold
since there was a significant difference between the recoveries
of the setups being compared. Meanwhile, the shrinking core
model was inconclusive since most setups followed the
product diffusion model. The theoretical kinetic reaction of
cyanide leaching is mass transport. Errors may be attributed
to the computed fraction, F since the gold recoveries were
used in computing this, instead of the actual radius of the
unreacted and reacted core.
Lastly, the experiment was designed to have a 2k factorial
statistical analysis, yet it cannot be performed since
replications were not performed. Two-away analysis of
variance was performed instead. The test indicated that the
factors have no significant effect on the recovery of gold,
which is contrary to the results obtained when the gold
recovery was plotted against time.
Significant errors were committed throughout the whole
duration of the experiment. Recommendations are listed next
to avoid these errors in future experiments and to obtain the
expected results. Units used in the calculation of the solutions
needed should be accurate and duly noted. The experiment
should be done in a low-light setting to avoid the unwanted
degradation of cyanide. The use of a different indicator should
be considered. Rhodanine may be used as an indicator when
titrating the filtrate with silver nitrate since the endpoint is a
Page 6 of 11
pinkish color. There will be ease in determining the endpoint
and accurate results as well. Companies such as the Phil. Gold
Processing and Refining Corporation uses rhodanine as
indicator. Further characterization of the ore should also be
done to determine the possible ions that will complex with
cyanide. SEM testing or ore microscopy should also be done
on the samples which underwent the second cyanidation to
confirm the presence of locked gold particles in the system.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
The author would like to thank Engr. Joy Mirasol Maniaul,
Engr. Hanna Cerise Regidor, and Engr. Franco Danilo Luistro
for providing guidance as the experiment was executed, the
class of MetE 135 THVW, THXY, and WFRU for rendering
help in gathering the data needed for this experiment, and the
University of the Philippines, College of Engineering,
Department of Mining, Metallurgical, and Materials
Engineering for providing the essential apparatus for the
experiment.
Ledesma, B. C. T. (2019)
REFERENCES
Srithammavut, Waroonkarn. "Modeling of
GoldCyanidation." 2008. Accessed March 30, 2019.
Marsden, John O., and C. Iain. House. The Chemistry of Gold
Extraction. Littleton: Society for Mining, Metallurgy,
and Exploration, 2006.
de Andrade Lima, L.R.P. & Hodouin, D. (2006) Simulation
Study of the Optimal Distribution of Cyanide in a Gold
Leaching Circuit. Minerals Engineering, Vol 19, pp.
1319-1327.
Ellis, S. & Senanayake, G. (2004) The Effects of Dissolved
Oxygen and Cyanide Dosage on Gold Extraction from a
Pyrrhotite-Rich Ore. Hydrometallurgy, Vol 72, pp. 39-
50.
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 APPENDIX

Figure 6.1. Effect of % Solids on the Gold Recovery of Setups 3 & 4

Figure 7.1. Effect of Cyanide Strength on the Gold Recovery of Setups 2 & 4

Figure 8.1. Effect of Agitation on the Gold Recovery of Setups 2 & 6

TABLE II. DESIGN OF EXPERIMENT WITH CORRESPONDING PARAMETERS

Au, ppm
Bottle no.
Time 1 2 3 4 5 6
1 23.2 30.2 11.8 12 2.7 1.2
2 32.7 42.1 16.8 19 2.1 2

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 3 32.1 44.8 20 23.3 2.8 5.8
4 35.1 47.8 23.4 26.3 4.1 6.1
5 33 38.2 23.5 41.8 4.4 11.8
6 27.8 13.7 15.5 36.5 3.7 9.2
9 23.4 36.5 34.5 48.6 - 14.5
12 - 31.4 - 23.1 5 16.1
18 20.4 29.9 - 42.5 5.6 17.6
24 - - 41.2 55.9 5.5 -
36 17.4 27.3 39.7 54 6.9 28.1
46 16.6 26 37.6 52.3 6 29.4

Figure 9.1. Shrinking Core Model of Setup 2

Figure 9.2. Shrinking Core Model of Setup 3

Ledesma, B. C. T. (2019) Page 9 of 11

 Figure 9.3. Shrinking Core Model of Setup 4

Figure 9.4. Shrinking Core Model of Setup 5

Figure 9.5. Shrinking Core Model of Setup 6

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 Pulp Density Anova: Two-Factor Without Replication
Cyanide Strength High Pulp Low Pulp
0.25% 98.02219364 91.92185426 SUMMARY Count Sum Average Variance
0.05% 82.747462 93.11397321 (+) CS 2 189.944 94.97202 18.60707
(-) CS 2 175.8614 87.93072 53.73228

(+) PD 2 180.7697 90.38483 116.6587

(-) PD 2 185.0358 92.51791 0.710574

ANOVA
Source of Variation SS df MS F P-value F crit
CS 49.57999 1 49.57999 0.731384 0.549585 39.86346
PD 4.550056 1 4.550056 0.067121 0.838615 39.86346
Error 67.78929 1 67.78929

Total 121.9193 3

Agitation Anova: Two-Factor Without Replication

Pulp Density (+) (-)
(+) 98.02219364 83.08948455 SUMMARY Count Sum Average Variance
(-) 91.92185426 30.14679332 (+) PD 2 181.1117 90.55584 111.4929
(-) PD 2 122.0686 61.03432 1908.079

(+) Agitation 2 189.944 94.97202 18.60707

(-) Agitation 2 113.2363 56.61814 1401.464

ANOVA
Source of Variation SS df MS F P-value F crit
PD 871.5199 1 871.5199 1.588766 0.426967 39.86346
Agitation 1471.02 1 1471.02 2.681645 0.349008 39.86346
Error 548.5515 1 548.5515

Total 2891.092 3

Figure 10. Two-Way Analysis of Variance of the Factors

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