Biooxidation of a double-refractory gold-bearing sulfide ore concentrate

The efficiency of biooxidation for treatment of a double-refractory gold-bearing sulfide ore concentrate from the Bakyrchik deposit (East Kazakhstan) was defined. The experiments were conducted in two different modes, i.e., with the standard liquid medium and the medium imitating the chemical composition of the Bakyrchik deposit groundwater and containing high concentrations of sodium, magnesium, and chloride. The concentrate contained 17.5% of organic carbon, 6% of pyrite, and 13% of arsenopyrite. Gold content was 57.5 g t–1. Direct gold recovery by cyanidation was very low (2.8%). While biooxidation was efficient in both cases (approximately 90% of sulfide sulfur was oxidized), the efficiency of cyanidation was low (39 and 32%, respectively). This fact suggests high efficiency of biooxidation is insufficient for efficient treatment of double-refractory gold-bearing sulfide ore concentrates.