The role of gold beneficiation reagents cannot be underestimated. More than 85% of the world’s gold ore is mainly extracted by cyanidation. However, the use of a variety of reagents mixed and added into gold beneficiation is mainly to improve the effect of flotation gold selection. Gold beneficiation reagents are important auxiliary materials in mining production, which use chemical methods to improve the grade and recovery rate of gold ore. It is most widely used in the heap leaching, pool leaching, carbon slurry (agitation leaching) process production of gold and silver oxide ores, primary ores, sulfide ores, cyanide tailings, and gold concentrates, and the process flow using cyanide-sodium. It has strong selectivity and can effectively distinguish gold from other metal minerals, thereby maximizing the recovery efficiency of gold concentrate.
What Are Gold Beneficiation Reagents
Gold beneficiation reagents are usually used as chemical reagents to improve the leaching and flotation effects in the gold beneficiation process. They are mainly used in gold flotation, CIP and CIL, and leaching processes. Its main function is to promote the separation and purification of gold and help improve the recovery rate of gold in the ore. While reducing harmful substances, beneficiation reagents accelerate the flotation speed and improve the separation of gold.
Gold beneficiation reagent type
Gold flotation beneficiation is suitable for processing coarse and medium-grained natural gold iron ore. After crushing and grinding, the pulp needs to be mixed with various reagents to improve the efficiency of gold selection when entering the flotation machine. Different types of ores contain different gold ore components, so different beneficiation reagents are needed for flotation. This beneficiation reagent is a special chemical substance, mainly including: collector, frother, regulator, activator.
Collector
The collector can give full play to the synergistic effect of each component in the flotation process, produce co-adsorption, and promote the enrichment effect of the collector on gold minerals. At present, the collectors with good collection effect on gold minerals include aniline black medicine, butyl ammonium black medicine, gold capture, Y-89, M16, QF and other flotation reagents. It also has a foaming effect, and has a strong collection ability for coarse gold and fine-grained conjoined gold in the ore.
Foaming agent
In order to ensure the quality of gold ore dressing, an appropriate amount of frother will be added to prevent mineral loss, which leads to the generation of a large amount of foam during ore dressing. Commonly used frothers include: pine oil, commonly known as No. 2 oil, phenolic acid mixed fatty alcohol, isomeric hexanol or pungent, ether alcohol and various esters. Usually combined with collectors to adsorb on the surface of mineral particles to make the mineral particles float.
Regulator
Mainly adjust the pH value and other chemical conditions in the flotation process to provide a suitable environment. Enhance the selectivity of collectors and frothers to better separate gold from other minerals. Mainly include sodium thioglycolate and copper sulfate. Among them, copper sulfate is widely used and is often used in sulfide copper, lead and zinc, sphalerite, antimonite or pyrite dressing. In metal flotation, it mainly plays the role of an activator, which is to form a thin film on the surface of the mineral to promote the action of the collector.
Activator
The activating agent can promote the action of the collector and the mineral, thereby improving the floatability of the mineral. It is a type of regulator that enhances the adsorption capacity of the mineral surface to the collector. It usually includes water glass, aluminum sulfate and modified starch. Various reagents are used to adjust the physical and chemical properties of the selected minerals and the flotation medium during flotation, thereby expanding the difference in water affinity between gold minerals or gold-bearing minerals and gangue.
The purpose of reasonable addition is to ensure the maximum effectiveness of the reagent in the slurry and maintain the optimal concentration. Therefore, the method and amount of dosing can be reasonably selected according to the characteristics of the ore, the properties of the reagent and the process requirements. JXSC supports customized gold beneficiation solutions and equipment, contact us for more details!