Biological LeachingPressure Oxidation for （生物LeachingPressure氧化）.pdf

SGS MINERALS SERVICES TECHNICAL PAPER 2004-06 2004 PILOT PLANT EVALUATION OF A HYBRID BIOLOGICAL LEACHING-PRESSURE OXIDATION PROCESS FOR AURIFEROUS ARSENOPYRITE/PYRITE FEEDSTOCKS I. DYMOV AND C.J. FERRON –– SGS; W. PHILLIPS –– KINROSS GOLD CORP. ABSTRACT A process has been evaluated, on a continuous pilot plant scale, to treat refractory gold arsenopyrite/pyrite concentrates. The process consisted of biological leaching to partially oxidise sulphides, followed by pressure leaching for complete sulphide oxidation and arsenic precipitation, followed by liquor neutralisation and cyanidation of the autoclave residue for gold recovery. This paper provides a brief description of the treatment flowsheet and discusses some of the main parameters and results of the process. During integrated pilot plant campaigns, it was confirmed that acceptable sulphide oxidation and gold extraction of 96-98% could be achieved by a two-stage oxidation with BIOX® (4 days total retention time) followed by POX º (40 minutes retention time at 220 C). Only partial arsenic precipitation was achieved in the autoclave, followed by complete precipitation by neutralization under atmospheric conditions. The overall process could be significantly simplified, and capital and operating costs reduced, with a flowsheet ® modification allowing all of the BIOX liquor to bypass the autoclave directly to the neutralization circuit. ® ® INTRODUCTION tion of bacterial oxidation (BIOX ) and The BIOX section of the dual process pressure oxidation (POX) technologies. could be designed to pro