Extraction of gold and silver from a Turkish gold ore through thiourea leaching
No Thumbnail Available
Date
2004
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Abstract
The kinetics of thiourea leaching of Ovacik gold ore, Normandy Mining Co., were investigated, and the major leaching parameters were determined. Ovacik is the first project in what is potentially a large new mining industry in Turkey. The main parameters investigated in the leaching tests were particle size, solid/water ratio, pH, thiourea, Fe2(SO4)3 and Na2S2O5 concentrations, agitation rate and leaching time. The Na2S2O5 is used to reduce thiourea consumption to a reasonable level. Optimization of the parameters resulted in Au recoveries greater than 90% for a 2.5-hour leach period. Copyright 2004, Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration, Inc.