Course Objective: The course is aimed at equipping students with the knowledge of the methods used for the extractive metallurgy of gold
Learning Outputs: At the end of this course, a student should be able to:
- Appreciate the importance of the type of gold ore in devising a process for the recovery of gold;
- Design and analyze gold extractive processes based on free milling, refractory and complex gold ores;
- Demonstrate an understanding of the environmental issues concerning the use of lixiviants in the recovery of gold and the treatment of the resulting effluents;
- Apply fundamental engineering principles in purification, concentration of gold solutions and recovery of gold from gold leach solutions.
Prerequisite: MP 331, MP 333 MP 332
Mode of Delivery: 3 hrs lecture and 1 hour tutorial per week (60 hrs)
Assessment Mode: Course work (Home works, quizzes, tests) 40%
University Examination 60%
Course Contents: Sources of gold, Types of gold ores, Gold extraction from free milling gold ores, Gold extraction from refractory gold ores by cyanidation (pre-treatment methods: roasting, pressure leaching, bacteria leaching), Gold extraction from complex ores, Concentration and purification (activated carbon, ion exchange), Recovery from solution (cementation, electrowinning, chemical precipitation), The use of alternative lixiviants in gold extraction, Environmental issues concerning gold extraction using hydrometallurgical routes, Treatment of gold mining effluents.
Recommended Textbook:
John C Yannopoulos, 1991, The Extractive Metallurgy of Gold , Springer
Recommended References
1. Fathi, H . ( 1997) Handbook of Extractive Metallurgy I, Heidelberg, Germany: WILEY-VCH.
2. Marsden, J.O and Iain House, C. ( 2006) The Chemistry of Gold Extraction, Society for Mining Metallurgy & Exploration.