Study of gold-bearing ores using gravity enrichment methods

Abstract

The article discusses issues related to increasing the efficiency of extracting gold-bearing ores from poor ores using the gravity enrichment method. Gold is a metal whose production and consumption are least susceptible to high fluctuations in the global and domestic markets. Global gold production faces certain challenges, including the depletion of rich and easily enrichable ores and shallow deposits suitable for open-pit mining. However, the simultaneous sharp increase in energy resources and transportation costs has reduced the profitability of domestic mining and technological production. The high variability in content, mineral composition, the presence of a large number of impurities, and differences in the forms and nature of deposits place gold among the most challenging raw materials to process. This requires the integration of various methods of enrichment and processing. The author presents the impact of the centrifugal concentrator Nelson (Knelson) on increasing the gold recovery from gold-bearing poor ores under high climatic conditions. The increase in extraction is achieved through the disruption of ore structure, substantial density reduction, and enhanced mineral liberation through gravity, reaching up to 63%. Thus, the optimization is classified as fine and medium-grained gold.