KazHydroMed' LLP (Karaganda, Republic of Kazakhstan):
Karimova L. M., Head of Laboratory, Doctor of Engineering Sciences, Associate Professor, l.karimova@kazgidromed.kz
Oleinikova T. O., Director
Mansurov B. E., Leading Researcher, b.mansurov@kazgidromed.kz
Saganbek S., Research Engineer, Magister, sunkar_0396@mail.ru

Gold leaching studies were carried out using the Jinchan reagent and sodium cyanide. The ore of the Akzhal deposit with a gold grade of 1.83 g/t was studied. The mineralogical analysis of the sample was carried out using an OLYMPUS BX 53 microscope with a SIMAGIS XS-3CU video camera and Mineral C7 image analysis software. The main ore minerals of the sample were arsenopyrite and pyrite; with rare chalcopyrite, pyrrhotite, sphalerite, bornite, covellite, galena, and fahlore; sporadical native gold and organic matter; and accessory titanium oxides and iron hydroxides. The concentrate obtained in a closed-cycle flotation experiment had a recovery of 88.05 % and a gold grade of 20.92 g/t. Oxidizing roasting was accompanied by complete oxidation of sulfides and a sharp change in the physical structure of the mineral grains of arsenopyrite and pyrite, with dense gold-bearing sulfides being transformed into porous compounds (mainly ferrous hydroxides). After the roasting, the sample was subjected to water leaching with the aim of recovering iron sulfate and associated copper and was then used for comparative gold leaching studies using sodium cyanide and the Jinchan reagent. The resulting values of gold recovery from the calcined concentrate using the Jinchan reagent and sodium cyanide solutions in comparable concentrations were virtually the same at 88.5 %. The recovery of gold during desorption from the saturated ionite into the desorbate was 98.8 %. As a result of electrolytic deposition from the catholyte, a cathode deposit of gold sulfide was obtained with a recovery of 97.5 %.

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