WHAT TO DO WITH BLACK SAND???

[blynch35]

I have heard that you can sell black sand and or melt it for super fine gold in it, is this true and what else can you do with it?

 

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[Assembler]

My operation is placer, so we are just processing existing sands and gravels.

In particular, we are in the planning stage of attacking a large tailings pile that will take us at least a decade to process with our budget and capabilities so whatever we do, we want to make sure its done properly.

If that involves an additional process to recover large volumes of middlings for off-season processing in addition to the cons we'd normally capture, then we'd like to plan for that.

If the water action moved most of the heavies down to near bedrock perhaps the layer just above the bedrock is where the focus should be on? Even to the point of using a dozer to move away the upper materials. The very top layer may not pay for the fuel for a more complete processing?

There could be some rock that is better then the rest of the surrounding rock?

 

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[russau]

Black sands are great to spread around your wife's Rose plants ! She will be amazed at how well they've been doing !

 

[Assembler]

My operation is placer, so we are just processing existing sands and gravels.

In particular, we are in the planning stage of attacking a large tailings pile that will take us at least a decade to process with our budget and capabilities so whatever we do, we want to make sure its done properly.

If that involves an additional process to recover large volumes of middlings for off-season processing in addition to the cons we'd normally capture, then we'd like to plan for that.

During the off season perhaps some zircon sands could be bagged up for sale fetching near: Around US\$1,700/t ??
The rest of the black sands could be sold to garden centers?

 

[Gold:Au]

During the off season perhaps some zircon sands could be bagged up for sale fetching near: Around US\$1,700/t ??
The rest of the black sands could be sold to garden centers?

Our stuff, as far as I understand, is mostly Cassiterite and some magnetics. I guess I'll be visiting the local garden wholesalers at the end of the off season to offload my depleted black sands

 

[Assembler]

Our stuff, as far as I understand, is mostly Cassiterite and some magnetics. I guess I'll be visiting the local garden wholesalers at the end of the off season to offload my depleted black sands

Well the tin oxide SnO2 has value that is likely more then garden center sand. The problem is that tin oxide specific gravity of tin(IV) oxide (SnO2) is around 6.95 and will get blown out most sluice box set ups. Perhaps a dry air blown process could be used like a wind tunnel?? Then a shaker process used on the concentrates?

 

[Gold:Au]

Well the tin oxide SnO2 has value that is likely more then garden center sand. The problem is that tin oxide specific gravity of tin(IV) oxide (SnO2) is around 6.95 and will get blown out most sluice box set ups. Perhaps a dry air blown process could be used like a wind tunnel?? Then a shaker process used on the concentrates?

I have had a brief look for commercial buyers for such bulk products without luck.

I can think of several simple means of collection, but it would all come down to how much of that -250 gold would also be included to make it worth the effort.

 

[Assembler]

I have had a brief look for commercial buyers for such bulk products without luck.

I can think of several simple means of collection, but it would all come down to how much of that -250 gold would also be included to make it worth the effort.

Yep in this chemical age most don't want to mess with rock minerals. With that being said you can start with one or two outlets and go from there.

The rock is not all the same so focus on the best material for best returns.

 

[Assembler]

I have had a brief look for commercial buyers for such bulk products without luck.

I can think of several simple means of collection, but it would all come down to how much of that -250 gold would also be included to make it worth the effort.

If by weight most of the values are liberated in the 50 -100 mesh range why not grind just the best rock type to that size and process to get the best recovery?
Some will get ground finer then this size to give you an idea of weights.

 

[Gold:Au]

If by weight most of the values are liberated in the 50 -100 mesh range why not grind just the best rock type to that size and process to get the best recovery?
Some will get ground finer then this size to give you an idea of weights.

As far as I am aware, the gold here is mostly free with very little in the actual rock.
My thinking is that a the cons from a sluice set up for gold should contain all the +100, and some/most of the 100-150.
It may also contain some -150 that needs some work to retrieve.

If I direct the tailings through a second, gentler sluice designed to trap the black sands that escaped the first sluice, would that also collect the -150 gold as well?

This will give us three "products" - the +150 gold, the heavy black sands with some -150, and the lighter black sands with the rest of the -150.

I guess this is when I look into chemical leaching - Cyanide is out for many reasons, but there's a couple of alternatives I will have to read up on. But I suspect many of the minerals in black sands are pretty stable, so maybe aqua-regia could be of use.

This is all pure speculation, of course, I'll have to run a few loads of the dirt to see what there actually is.