electro-magnetic ore processing ... · major factors in merrill crowe gold recovery are, the...
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Electro-Magnetic Ore Processing Equipment: Improving Gold Recovery within the Merrill Crowe Process.
1 All Rights Reserved, 2012
SONO - DYNE INC.
Canadian Office 545 High St.MacTier Ont. P0C 1H0 Canada
U.S. Corp. Office1151 Creek Woods Circle. St. Cloud, Florida U.S.A.
www.sono-dyne.com
Major factors in Merrill Crowe gold recovery are, the aqueous porosity of the ore matrix, the lixiviant solution concentration, and leaching time. Lab data suggests that both existing heap leaching and in-situ hydro-metallurgy operations, are leaving up to 17% of their target metals in the tailings, and some in-situ mining operations very little of the cyanide lixiviant is recovered after Merrill Crowe extraction. With the price of gold steadily climbing over time, it stands to reason that maximizing profit means not leaving any gold residue in the tailings with the Merrill Crowe process. Heap leaching both contains and recovers the lixiviant for re-use and allows a new electro-magnetic process to be implemented benefiting profitability. An electromagnetic treatment technology that effectively increases the porosity of fine micro-grained gold bearing ores has been discovered using a low frequency electro-magnetic field exposure treatment that improves gold leaching kinetics in the traditional heap leaching process making it more profitable than in-situ hydro-metallurgy. Gold recovery from treated ore samples is 10 -17 % higher than baseline in a series of cyanidation tests showing significant increase in Au leaching kinetics for fine micro-grained silica based type gold ores
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Au %
Reco
very
Gain
Cyanidation Time, Days
Baseline Gold
1. A reversing electromagnetic field is generated by alternating electric current flowing through a flat loop conductor through which the ore passes.
2. The magnetic field directly interacts with only
the metals in the ore and not the silica matrix which is transparent to magnetic fields.
3. A kinetic response by the metal particles
stresses and generates micro-fractures in the ore silica matrix and improves the porosity for cyanide or other lixiviants to permeate and diffuse into the ore silica matrix.
Electro-Magnetic Ore Processing Equipment: Improving Gold Recovery within the Merrill Crowe Process.
2 All Rights Reserved, 2012
SONO - DYNE INC.
Canadian Office 545 High St.MacTier Ont. P0C 1H0 Canada
U.S. Corp. Office1151 Creek Woods Circle. St. Cloud, Florida U.S.A.
www.sono-dyne.com
Electro-Magnetic Ore Processing Equipment: Improving Gold Recovery within the Merrill Crowe Process.
3 All Rights Reserved, 2012
SONO - DYNE INC.
Canadian Office 545 High St.MacTier Ont. P0C 1H0 Canada
U.S. Corp. Office1151 Creek Woods Circle. St. Cloud, Florida U.S.A.
www.sono-dyne.com
A view with the top belt removed for clarity. The moving ore is exposed to the magnetic fields via two pathways from the point of deposition on the upper conveyor belt. The two belts are moving at the same velocity in opposite directions.
Electro-Magnetic Ore Processing Equipment: Improving Gold Recovery within the Merrill Crowe Process.
4 All Rights Reserved, 2012
SONO - DYNE INC.
Canadian Office 545 High St.MacTier Ont. P0C 1H0 Canada
U.S. Corp. Office1151 Creek Woods Circle. St. Cloud, Florida U.S.A.
www.sono-dyne.com
The loop conductors by which the magnetic fields are delivered to the ore fragments are shown here. These are designed to carry as much as 10,000 Ampere’s at 300 kHz.
A Comsol FEA model shows the magnetic field response of the conductor at amperage. Magnetic units are in Gauss. The greatest magnetic flux is nearest the conductor surfaces. This requires that the ore fragments be in close proximity to said surfaces.
Electro-Magnetic Ore Processing Equipment: Improving Gold Recovery within the Merrill Crowe Process.
5 All Rights Reserved, 2012
SONO - DYNE INC.
Canadian Office 545 High St.MacTier Ont. P0C 1H0 Canada
U.S. Corp. Office1151 Creek Woods Circle. St. Cloud, Florida U.S.A.
www.sono-dyne.com
This method can be scaled up to accommodate any needed throughput by means of conductor diameter and / or plurality. The conductor is capable of being driven by a suitable power supply from Tocco Magnethermic, who is a recognized designer and manufacturer of induction heating electrical equipment.
A vertical gravity feed version is shown here, and has a single circular conductor generating the magnetic field through which the ore passes. The ore fragments fall through the annular aperture between the conductor and the silica mandrel where the residence time of the fragments is controlled by the position of the center mandrel which constricts the space between the two components, This method uses gravity to move the ore through the magnetic field while the center mandrel is vibrating at a constant frequency and amplitude. The treated ore falls into a bin or a conveyor belt.
Electro-Magnetic Ore Processing Equipment: Improving Gold Recovery within the Merrill Crowe Process.
6 All Rights Reserved, 2012
SONO - DYNE INC.
Canadian Office 545 High St.MacTier Ont. P0C 1H0 Canada
U.S. Corp. Office1151 Creek Woods Circle. St. Cloud, Florida U.S.A.
www.sono-dyne.com
Electro-Magnetic Ore Processing Equipment: Improving Gold Recovery within the Merrill Crowe Process.
7 All Rights Reserved, 2012
SONO - DYNE INC.
Canadian Office 545 High St.MacTier Ont. P0C 1H0 Canada
U.S. Corp. Office1151 Creek Woods Circle. St. Cloud, Florida U.S.A.
www.sono-dyne.com
The equipment would typically be located before the ore is deposited into the leaching pits as shown in an existing process here.