ELECTRO-OXIDATION OF GOLD

BEARING SULPHIDE ORES FROM

ANGLOGOLD MINING Co.

L.G.S. Sobral & R.L.C. Santos

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 OBJECTIVES

To electro-oxidize sulphide minerals and

recovery gold simultaneously in the same
reaction system by using sea water as
electrolyte;
To design a suitable reaction system for this
process to take place.

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Mineralogical Composition of the Gravity
Concentrate

SULPHIDE %
MINERALS
Arsenopyrite 26
Pyrrotite 23
Pyrite 17
Quartz 33
Iron Oxides 1

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REACTION SYSTEM

GRAPHITE CATHODE
PERFIL FRONTAL

6,00 mm
160,00 m m
8,00 mm 84,00 mm

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 SULPHIDES OXIDATION
REAGENT ANODIC REACTION

NaCl 2Cl Cl2 2e
CATHODIC REACTION

2H 2O 2e H 2 2OH

BULK REACTIONS
Cl2 H2O HClO H Cl HClO ClO H

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 OXIDIZING AGENTS

Cl2 H 2O HClO H Cl

_
% ClO
_
HClO ClO

HClO ClO H

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 ARSENOPYRITE OXIDATION
MAIN REACTIONS

ARSENOPYRITE / HYPOCHLORITE

FeAsS 6 ClO H 2 O Fe 3 SO42 6 Cl H 2 AsO3

ARSENOPYRITE / HYPOCHLOROUS ACID

FeAsS 6 HClO H 2 O Fe 3 SO42 6Cl H 2 AsO3 6 H

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 PRELIMINARY RESULTS
2-
PYRITIC CONCENTRATE SO4
TEST Fe(III)
25
CONCENTRATION (g/L)
20

15

10

0
0 2 4 6
TIME (h)

Variation of sulphate and iron concentrations with time.

Tests duration: 6h; current intensity: 10 A; NaCl
concentration: 1 M; volume of solution: 2L; pulp density:
1.0984 kg/L; cell voltage: 3.7 V; temp.: 60oC.
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 DIAPHRAGM CELL
+ -

ANOLYTE CATHOLYTE

NaCl
NaCl solution solution

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 FINAL RESULTS
2-
PYRITIC CONCENTRATE SO4
DIAPHRAGM TEST Fe(III)
25
CONCENTRATION (g/L)
20

15

10

0
0 2 4 6

TIME (h)

Variation of sulphide and iron concentrations with time.

Tests duration: 6h; current intensity: 10 A; NaCl
concentration: 1 M; volume of solution: 2L; pulp density:
1.0984 kg/L; cell voltage: 3.7 V; temp.: 60oC.
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 200
180
Muscovita
Muscovite
Calcita
Calcite
160
Pirita
Pyrite
140
Quartzo
Quartz
120
Lin(Counts)

100
80
60
40
20
0
5 10 20 30 40 50 60 70
2-Theta - Scale

DIFFRACTOGRAM BEFORE ELECTROLEACHING

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 200 Muscovite
Moscovita
180 Pyrite
Pirita
160 Quartz
Quartzo
140
Lin(Counts)

Microcline
Microclinio
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
5 10 20 30 40 50 60 70
2-Theta - Scale

DIFFRACTOGRAM AFTER 18 HOURS

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 CONCLUSIONS
According to the above mentioned results one can
conclude that:
During the electroleaching process there is a constant redox
reaction (Fe2+ Fe3+ + e) in charge of consuming a great deal
of the whole current supplied. This is a limiting factor.
The rate of the sulphide minerals oxidation can be enhanced
by avoiding (minimising) that such ionic species reach the
cathode surface.
The results quoting the use of a diaphragm to avoid/minimise
the effect of irons species (Fe+2 and Fe+3), being released
during the electroleaching of sulphide minerals, were quite
remarkable when compared to those obtained in a reaction
system without such separator.

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 1 mm

CONCLUSIONS Cont.

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