1.

1 VAT LEACHING PROCESS

Vat leaching is a low cost process method used to treat low-grade gold ores, mine waste material,

or deposits too small to justify construction of milling facilities. The ore is flooded with the

cyanide solution for a lengthy period of time and the leaching solution will dissolve the gold and

silver. The pregnant liquor will be collected as it percolates out from the base of the Vat and sent

to the metal recovery circuit where the precious metals will be removed. (Kappes, 2002)

Gold is extracted by dissolving or leaching it with a solution of sodium cyanide (NaCN) until the

gold in solution falls to 0.20 g/t or below. In Zimbabwe, sodium cyanide is mostly used because

of its availability. In most cases, several leaching stages may have to be carried out before the

gold level in solution falls to the above stated value. In the first leaching stage; to the mass of

sample at hand (usually 10 kg), the mass of water added is 70% that of the sample. That is, if we

have 10 kg sample, 7 kg or 7000g of water is added. Sodium cyanide, lime (CaO) and lead

nitrate (Pb(NO3)2) are then added. The purpose of sodium cyanide is to dissolve the gold and

lime is added to neutralize the acidic constituents of the sample and to adjust the pH to at least

above 9 so that none of the noxious hydrogen cyanide fumes are evolved when sodium cyanide

is added. Lead nitrate is added to provide oxygen, which is essential for this operation. The

reaction is thought to occur as follows:

4Au(s) + 2H20(l) + 8CN-(aq) + O2(g) 4[Au(CN)2]-(aq) + 4OH-(aq)

The amount of lime added corresponds to the acidity or alkalinity of the sample. Samples that are

grayish or whitish are usually less acidic and thus do not require much lime, usually 15-20g per

10 kg of sample. The brownish or reddish samples are associated with iron oxides (particularly

haematite) and hence are considered more acidic. To these, a larger amount (30-40g per 10kg of

sample) of lime is added. Sodium cyanide is added to the sample at a concentration of 0.1%-
potassium cyanide equivalent. This concentration is chosen as it is the one at which the effective

dissolution of gold in cyanide usually occurs.

The amount of sodium cyanide added is calculated as follows (assuming that we are using a10kg

sample and hence 7000g of water):

Mass of NaCN required =0.1/100×7000×0.77

=5.4g

(where 0.77 is a conversion factor from KCN to NaCN)

The mixture is left for about 16 hrs before the solution is drained and weighed. Part of the

solution is sent for assaying (in a vial) and about 10 ml of it is used in titrating for the percentage

of CaO and percentage of KCN. %CaO is determined by titrating the solution with oxalic acid

(H2C2O4) and %KCN with silver nitrate (AgNO 3).If no lime is left in solution more is added.

From the assaying results if, as is usually the case, by the first stage of leaching the gold content

of the solution does not drop to 0.20g/t or below, more leaching stages are carried out. These are

done using 5kg (per 10kg of sample) of water, NaCN of 0.06% KCN concentration equivalent

and appropriate amounts of lime.

The mass of NaCN added in each of these stages is calculated as shown below:

Mass of NaCN required =0.06/100 × 5000 ×0.77

=2.3g

After every 24 hrs, the procedure, as described above, is carried out until the gold level in

solution falls to 0.2g/t or below. At each leaching stage, one tenth of the drained solution is
separated and kept in a bottle. This is mixed with corresponding solutions drained from other

leaching stages. The mixture so formed is called COMPOSITE SOLUTION. At the end of the

leaching operation, this solution is assayed and the result is used in verifying other extraction

results obtained. The assay value of this solution is also used in calculation #7 below:

1.2 CALCULATIONS

1. Head Assay (usually given). This is the amount of gold in the as-received sample in g/t. If not

given or when the sample to be leached is a blend, the head assay is calculated in the ratio of the

blended product as follows;

(AV1× % product 1 + AV2 × % product 2 +……+ AVn * % product n)

where AV1, AV2,…,AVn = the assay values of the blended products 1,2….n respectively.

2. Residue Value (given from the Fire Assay Section). This is the gold that remains in the

sample after leaching, also in g/t.

3. Extraction Value. Calculated as a percentage as follows:

(Head Value – Residue Value) x100%

Head value

4. Extraction by solution (given in g/t) is obtained by adding all the daily extraction values or

by taking the final cumulative extraction value from the table.

5. Composite solution value (given in g/t); is the assay value of the composite solution in the

tab AND
 Extraction (Ext) = Composite solution value × L/S ratio (g/t)

6. Ratio: solution/charge or liquid/solid (L/S) ratio

L/S Ratio = Mass of water added excluding wash water (g)

Mass of charge (10 000g)

7. NaCN consumed, calculated in kg/t of the sample of ore leached

SUM of all cyanide added MINUS SUM of (Solution off × % KCN × 0.77/100 at each stage)/10

(including wash water).

OR

If the results do not agree or tie up, a titration of the composite solution is done to determine

the average value of %KCN. This value is then substituted for %KCN in the equation above.

8. Lime required = Total lime added (kg) × 1000

Total mass of sample (kg)

9. Leaching period = number of leaching days + number of washing days (usually one).

10. Calculated AA. (Atomic Absorption) value (g/t) :- It is calculated as follows :

The SUM of (SOLUTION OFF × AV) (at each stage)

(Sum of SOLUTION OFF at each stage) (Excluding wash water)

11. F.A. (Fire Assay) value (g/t):- It is the assay value figure obtained after fire assaying about

150 ml of the COMPOSITE SOLUTION.

NB: The calculated AA. And the FA values are usually used for cross-checking so they are only

used if the extraction by solution and composite solution values do not tie up.

12. Extraction (g/t) = SOLUTION OFF × AV

Mass of sample (10 000g)

13. Cumulative extraction is calculated from the table, (in g/t), as the SUM of (extraction at

each stage).

o VAT LEACHING FOR OPTIMIZATION OF CN CONCENTRATION

In this method, gold is extracted by dissolving or leaching it with a solution of sodium cyanide

(NaCN) until the gold in solution falls to 0.20 g/t or below. In Zimbabwe, sodium cyanide is

mostly used because of its availability. In most cases, several leaching stages may have to be

carried out before the gold level in solution falls to the above stated value. In the first leaching

stage; to the mass of sample at hand (usually 10 kg), the mass of water added is 70% that of the

sample. That is, if we have 10 kg sample, 7 kg or 7000g of water is added. Sodium cyanide, lime

(CaO) and lead nitrate (Pb(NO3)2) are then added. The purpose of sodium cyanide is to dissolve

the gold and lime is added to neutralize the acidic constituents of the sample and to adjust the pH

to at least above 9 so that none of the noxious hydrogen cyanide fumes are evolved when sodium

cyanide is added. Lead nitrate is added to provide oxygen, which is essential for this operation.

Reagents and apparatus

 Sodium cyanide

 Lime

 Lead nitrate
  Ore sample and water

 20l buckets

 AAS machine

 Titration apparatus

Procedure

1. Weigh 10 kg of the sample for vat leaching

2. Mix the sample with lime, 15 – 20 grammes for greyish samples and 30-40 grammes

for reddish-brown samples.

3. Charge the weighed sample into a vat leaching tank

4. Weigh 7kg of water and mix with varied amounts of sodium cyanide, 0.5grammes

Lead Nitrate and charge into the vat leaching tank and leave for 16 hrs.

5. Drain the solution and weigh.

6. Take one tenth of the solution and put in a bottle to make up a composite solution.

7. Take a vial of the solution for assaying of gold, 10ml to titrate for lime and free

cyanide

8. Weigh 5kg of water; mix with varied amounts of sodium cyanide, charge into the

leaching tank and drain the solution after 16 hrs.

9. Repeat the procedure as in 6 and 7 until the gold in solution falls below 0.2g/t.

10. Charge 5kg water into the vat leach tank to wash the sample.

11. Drain after 16hrs and titrate for free cyanide.

12. Dry the sample, cone and quarter, and then send a sample for fire assaying.