whats the best way to process Sulphides?

[distribuidorUSA]

what's the best way to process Sulphides?

I will apreciate any info as to what's the best way to extract Gold and Silver out of Sulphides.I've done some research and this is what I have so far.I would break the ore to an inch or so.then roast it.then grind it to a flour consistency.concentrate it on a Miller Table and afterwards amalgamate the concentrates with mercury in a rotating drum.and maybe separate the amalgam back on the Miller table?.once I get the amalgam I should be fine.is this a practical process? Or can I do it in a different way.the Sulphides have Gold,Silver,Copper,Lead etc.but I'm after the Gold and Silver.any input will be greatly apreciated.

 

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[Goodyguy]

When roasting the ore to release the sulphur dioxide make sure you are outside and up wind or in an extremely well ventilated area wearing a mask, and not near neighbors.

GG~

 

[distribuidorUSA]

Thank you goodyguy.I really apreciate your input.

 

[smokeythecat]

The sulfur released is nasty. It will also corrode metals (sulphuric acid). Some people are also allergic to sulphur. Mercury is a deadly poison, don't use it if you don't have to.

 

[distribuidorUSA]

I forgot to say that I'm looking forward to process thousands of tons in a month.I just want the best steps that are practical and with the less chemicals possible.of course the miller table would be made to order.

 

[smokeythecat]

Thousands of tons? Wow. Then don't do it in the kitchen.....

 

[TerryC]

Hey USA. If you're going to do thousands of tons of it, you will need need govt. permits. I would guess you will not get permits to use the amounts of mercury needed. You certainly need a bigger operation than a miller table. I also believe the best method for that kind of plant is going to be the heap leach method. Read up on it. TTC

 

[Goodyguy]

Here's a roaster that does 50lbs at a time. Ore Roaster AMS Remove Sulfides Get The Gold | eBay

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=&quot]Exhaust [FONT=&quot]fumes must be vented to [FONT=&quot]the outside or to a scrubber [FONT=&quot](not included).[/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT]

 

[distribuidorUSA]

this particular site is situated in very steep terrain.and basicly every ravine is full of Sulphides.my goal first is to go for the oxidiced layers first wich might be easier to process.and as I go along I should be investing in bigger Machinery.I will post some pics of this site so you can have a better idea of what I'm up to.thanks for your help.really appreciated.

 

[aussco999]

Hey USA:

Wanting to process “1000s of tons per month, roasting 1” ore, grinding to flour, use a Miller Table, amalgamating (sulfide/oxide) concentrates with mercury, recovery gold/silver from copper/lead, with less chemicals” I just don’t see that happening any time soon.

As TTC pointed out, you’ll need to start with ALL of the government permits, no matter where you live these days. Here in the states and in Mexico (where I mostly work), this normally requires a 1-3 year time period to get the required permits and a couple wagonloads of money.

Again, as TTC stated, heap leaching is the least expensive (up-front costs) method for processing sulfide minerals, but requires some harsh chemicals and some type of SXEW plant. And, because of the complex/refractory nature of your ore (sulfides/sulfosalts, copper/lead), it’s not possible to first leach the gold/silver, as there’s no known leach that will do that with a sulfide mineral. Even with an oxide mineral, the base metals often create some major problems for both acid and alkali leaches.

It would be a rarity to economically roast (calcinations) head ore, regardless of crush/grind size. Considering the need to reach temperatures of between 450-650 (C) to off-gas the sulfides would require a lot of fuel to get a ton of mineral that hot, let alone 1000s of tons. And, someone forgot to mention the very high priced air scrubber needed to comply with all clean air/water laws. It’s just never been a very feasible practice.

Assuming that you’ve already done your homework proving the gold/silver/base metals values (and mining claim, water, power, etc,etc,etc), are right to make your project profitable, then you are left with either some form of a gravity recovery or a flotation system to recovery everything heavy (Sp.G. 5+) into a concentrate. This would require larger/better crushing/grinding equipment (maybe down to 65 mesh for flotation and possibly finer for gravity recovery), and a separate system (or another company) to treat the concentrates.

You’ll be facing many more problems than what we’ve mentioned here with this or any other commercially viable mining project, but if you were still eager to go forward, my recommendation now would be to seriously re-examine the complete ore body (drilling, assaying, metallurgy, mapping, etc.) to determine what is really there. And, never discount the possibility of the base metals (copper/lead) supporting the operation, with gold/silver as profit. Or, if the ore body is large enough, selling out to the Big Boys. Just some thought food.

Regardless, continue to ask questions and good luck with your project,

John

 

[distribuidorUSA]

Hey aussco999.I'm goona start a new thread wit photos of this site.please let me know what you guys think.

 

[phenix2092]

If I already crushed my ore to a flower can o still cook the sulfur out

 

[Goodyguy]

If I already crushed my ore to a flower can o still cook the sulfur out

Here is a way to do it with or without roasting: http://nevada-outback-gems.com/Reference_pages/smelting_n_roast.htm


Without roasting:
For small scale treatment by individuals, the method is to grind the ore up finely, put it in some sort of tub and keep it moist. Stir and turn it over from time to time to allow the air access to the material. Natural bacteria found in sulfide ore will do the rest. Add a tiny bit of lawn fertilizer to the water you mix in to help the bacteria along. Don’t submerge the ore, just keep it wetted down and moist. In this kind of environment, the natural bacteria will break down the sulfides and convert them, using the oxygen in the air, to sulfates. It's slow and may take months to complete, and you will see the formation of salt crusts as it works. There may also be a little bit of stink, but nothing like roasting. Even in spite of this, your oxidized sulfide solutions will be strongly acidic and may be full of toxic heavy metals like lead, antimony, cadmium and copper. You may need to neutralize them, and it is also possible that they may well legally constitute a hazardous waste, so you can’t just toss them in the trash or dump them in your yard. As a result, any treatment of sulfide ores needs to be done with an eye toward compliance and any applicable environmental regulations.

If you want to try something like this, be sure to do some through research beforehand.

GG~

 

[distribuidorUSA]

Thank you for your help goodyguy I really appreciate.

 

[Eu_citzen]

What sulphides exactly are we talking about?

You mentioned for example lead - meaning galena?

Have you had the ore examined? If the ore permits, it may do with just grinding it finely to release the gold/silver.
Saw a small sample, then check under microscope.
I suppose (guess) you could cover the sawed of section with shellac to imitate a polished surface, easier to see.

Don't forget to check out the legal aspects!

 

[distribuidorUSA]

To tell you the truth I don't own the claim to this particular site. But I know the owner and he's willing to lease it.I have to have a clear Idea as to how to proceed.this site is huge.easily covers more than 5 square miles of sulphide mineralization.but then again.I know of more sites in this region with all kinds of minerals.But I need to bite what I can chew only.now thanks to you I have a clearer idea of what I'm up to.thanks.

 

[distribuidorUSA]

To tell you the truth I don't own the claim to this particular site. But I know the owner and he's willing to lease it.I have to have a clear Idea as to how to proceed.this site is huge.easily covers more than 5 square miles of sulphide mineralization.but then again.I know of more sites in this region with all kinds of minerals.But I need to bite what I can chew only.now thanks to you I have a clearer idea of what I'm up to.thanks.

 

[Eu_citzen]

Guessing your quite new? I'm a prospector more then anything else, my thinking goes as such.

To know how to proceed you need to know what your up against first.
Not even the large mining businesses will try without knowing what their up against.
Sometimes they undertake small "test runs" to see how to extract the metals out of the ore, may be worth considering.

Do you have analyses of the ore which shows it's economical to mine in the first place?
i.e. how much gold/copper/silver etc is in the ore? Usually measured in PPM or %.

I guess at thousands of tons the size of the ore body may be economical for starters.

If you want to read up a bit, try this:
copper extraction and purification

This is copper ore for starters, now if memory serves gold/silver will be extracted during the electrolysis process. (if it is contained within the copper ore)

 

[distribuidorUSA]

Thanks.it's really enlightening all this info.who knows maybe in a few years I might have my own proyect .

 

[TerryC]

WOW! 5 square miles of minerals. Not to burst the bubble but anything over 5 acres calls for a Fed "Plan of Operation". A LONG time to get the proper permits and environmental ok. You will be required to show how you will reasonably put the area back to its original state after operations. LARGE amounts of financial resources involved. Hope it works. TTC