Nikitina T.Yu., Petrov G.V. Current State and Technological Prospects of Applying Low-Toxic Gold Solvents for Processing Technogenic Raw Materials

DOI: 10.18503/1995-2732-2021-19-1-17-28

Abstract

Relevance. The analysis of the current state of global gold mining indicates a significant change in the structure of the mineral resource base of gold due to the increase in the share of secondary and technogenic resources. The use of the historically dominant technology of cyanide leaching of gold has recently been complicated by the increasing refractory of processed raw materials and the ever-tightening requirements for environmental safety of gold mining enterprises. First of all, this applies to the use of technogenic gold-containing waste from the mining and metallurgical complex, which is processed at the site of formation using geotechnology. The use of gold complexing agents alternative to sodium cyanide, will allow for the direct hydrometallurgical opening of refractory raw materials of different types without prior conditioning, reducing the irrevocable technogenic dispersion of gold and reducing zones of pollution of ecosystems by gold mining waste, including the waste products of the cyanide technology used. Objectives: The research is aimed at conducting an analytical review of the current state of gold hydrometallurgy and providing a rationale for applying complexing non-cyanide agents to increase technical and economic indicators of processing technogenic raw materials and environmental safety of gold mining enterprises. Tasks: 1. To analyze the current state of the global mineral resource base of gold. 2. To characterize main types of technogenic gold-containing raw materials. 3. To provide a rationale for applying non-cyanide complexing gold solvents and carry out a comparative assessment. Findings: The authors revealed technological features of using non-cyanide agents, when leaching gold, in respect of different types of technogenic raw materials. Conclusion: The analysis of industrial practice of cyanide leaching, the research findings and experience of applying less toxic and more environmental-friendly complexing agents of gold prove a general possibility of efficient direct hydrometallurgical opening of ore and technogenic raw materials using solvents alternative to cyanide.

Keywords

Gold, technogenic raw materials, low-grade gold-containing raw materials, non-cyanide gold solvents, leaching, gold extraction.

For citation

Nikitina T.Yu., Petrov G.V. Current State and Technological Prospects of Applying Low-Toxic Gold Solvents for Processing Technogenic Raw Materials. Vestnik Magnitogorskogo Gosudarstvennogo Tekhnicheskogo Universiteta im. G.I. Nosova [Vestnik of Nosov Magnitogorsk State Technical University]. 2021, vol. 19, no. 1, pp. 17–28. https://doi.org/10.18503/1995-2732-2021-19-1-17-28

Tatyana Yu. Nikitina – postgraduate student of the Department of Metallurgy, Saint Petersburg Mining University, Saint Petersburg, Russia. Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. ORCID 0000-0003-1544-2314

Georgiy V. Petrov – DrSc (Eng.), Associate Professor, Professor at the Department of Metallurgy, Saint Petersburg Mining University, Saint Petersburg, Russia. Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. ORCID 0000-0003-2382-5235

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