Current methods of technogenic gold placer deposit mining with small size gold extraction technology

The purpose of this article is to conduct industrial tests of spiral separation technology on technogenic refractory raw materials. The object of the study is the Yurskoye gold placer deposit in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia). An OKV-100 benefication complex with the productive capacity of 100 m3 /h by initial sands was set up in order to conduct pilot mining of the fine-grained tailings dumps of the Yurskoye deposit with the maximum extraction of small size gold. Sands supplied from the different sections of the technogenic deposit had different gold content, granulometric characteristics, and mineralogical composition. The study included experiments carried out at different initial feed; equipment was adjusted for specific raw material depending on productive capacity, liquid/solid ratio, product yield of the small size gold recovery module. The complex productivity was from 90 to 150 m3 /h. The yield and extraction of gold-bearing concentrate, as well as its gold content were determined. The pilot washing with the use of small size gold recovery technology resulted in the average additional gold recovery from sluice tailings of 19.07 %, which is a high indicator, given the low content of gold in technogenic placers. The technology under consideration can be used for the development of both technogenic and operated gold placer deposits.

spiral separation, gold, technogenic placer