Additional Gold Recovery from Tailing Waste By Ion Exchange Resins

The article describes the gamma activation analysis method used to determine the gold content in rock samples using the Aura measuring complex. The physicochemical basis of gold extraction in the process of cyanide leaching is considered. The technology for extracting gold from solutions of tailing waste “ponds” of tailings dumps of hydrometallurgical plants of the Joint Stock Company “Navoi Mining and Metallurgical Combine” (JSC NMMC) is presented. It has been shown that in the dynamic mode of sorption of tailing waste solutions acidified to pH = 3.3÷3.5 through AM-2B and VP-1P ion exchange resins, gold is sorbed on the AM-2B anion exchanger up to 3.9 mg/g and on the VP-1P anion exchanger up to 1.5 mg/g. It has been shown that when solutions of tailing waste are exposed to ammonia, ammonia complex compounds of base metal impurities are formed, which decompose, while the gold cyanide complex does not decompose and is sorbed on the AM-2B ion exchange resin up to 3.0 mg/g. The mechanisms of the chemical reactions of the process of extracting gold from tailing waste and the technological scheme of the installation for extracting gold from solutions of the tailing waste “pond” are presented.