Heap leaching has become an increasingly popular method for extracting gold from oxidized ores, especially in cases where the ore is low-grade and traditional processing methods are not economically viable. This cost-effective technique offers a simpler, more flexible alternative to conventional cyanide leaching and can be applied in a wide range of mining scenarios.
How Heap Leaching Works
In heap leaching, the ore is first crushed and then stacked in a series of layers on a specially prepared leach pad. The leach pad is lined with a waterproof membrane to prevent contamination of the surrounding environment. Once the ore is stacked, a cyanide solution is applied to the pile, either through sprinklers or drip emitters, allowing the solution to percolate through the heap and dissolve the gold.
The pregnant leach solution, now containing dissolved gold, is collected at the base of the heap and pumped to a processing plant for further treatment. Gold is recovered from the solution using methods such as activated carbon adsorption, ion exchange, or solvent extraction.
Heap leaching is particularly well-suited for oxidized gold ores because it does not require the intensive grinding and milling processes that traditional gold extraction methods require. Instead, ore
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