Investigations on microwave processing of gold ores

This report presents an investigation into the microwave processing of gold ores, focusing on the effectiveness of microwave energy in enhancing the elimination of total organic carbon from the ores. The objective is to evaluate how selective superheating of carbon components can improve the leachability of gold, which is vital for the mineral extraction process. Methodologically, the study employed experiments in a microwave heated fluidized bed reactor, analyzing various gold ore samples including roaster feeds and deslime tail materials. Results showed that microwave treatment significantly reduced carbon and sulfur content in ores, with notable improvements in the leachability of the gold. Furthermore, a secondary microwave heat treatment of the carbon-in-leach (CIL) tail evidenced additional reductions in carbon content. The findings indicate a positive correlation between microwave energy application and mineral processing efficiency, leading to recommendations for future process development, particularly emphasizing the need for industrial scale investigations and energy-saving strategies in processing. This research contributes to the field by identifying the potential for microwave technology in enhancing gold ore processing efficiency and suggests paths for scaling up the process in appropriate settings.