Relationships between mineralogy, roasting, and extraction of gold from refractory pyritic and arsenopyritic gold ores and concentrates

Summary

Several gold-bearing sulphidic concentrates were characterised for elemental and phase composition, particle size and surface area, and mineralogically assessed by scanning electron microscopy and electron probe microanalysis.

The concentrates were roasted and the calcines characterised before being leached in cyanide.

The form of the gold in the calcines and the leached residue was determined.

Keywords: mineralogy, roasting, gold extraction, refractory, gold ores