Cradle to Gate
Identity ID
668acd11-b5d2-422d-a688-7c9334f028c7
Materials
Associated ID
841c775d-4b24-4b68-92e9-216bdd44907c
Included activities starts
Included activities ends
Description
This dataset represents a product that is oxidized concentrate, a fine-particle solid material obtained after pressure oxidation treatment of gold ore. It has the characteristic of relatively high chemical activity and can effectively break down the sulfide structures that encapsulate gold in gold ore, facilitating the extraction of valuable elements in the subsequent leaching and gold-extraction process; its core valuable components are gold and silver, accompanied by various impurity metal elements. The upstream raw material of this product is gold ore, and the downstream serves as the raw material for subsequent hydrometallurgical leaching or pyrometallurgical refining; it is a key intermediate product for achieving efficient recovery of gold in the gold-ore hydrometallurgical leaching or pyrometallurgical refining industrial chain. The dataset includes the main raw and auxiliary materials, energy and wastes in the production process; infrastructure such as the manufacture of production equipment and plant construction is not included within the boundary of the dataset; the data inventory is formed by merging data from multiple sources.
Activity Description
The entire production process includes the reception and batching of gold concentrate, slurrying, pressurized oxidation reaction, solid-liquid separation under high temperature and high pressure conditions, oxidized slag washing and transportation, etc. The entire process covers the entire process from the gold concentrate raw materials entering the factory and being prepared into slurry suitable for reaction to the output of oxidized slag and transfer to the subsequent gold extraction section.
Process Description
Gold concentrate is a concentrate product mainly composed of gold-bearing pyrite or arsenopyrite, obtained through beneficiation and enrichment with gold as the primary recovery target. In addition to gold, its main components also include sulfide minerals such as pyrite (FeS₂) and arsenopyrite (FeAsS), as well as gangue minerals like quartz and feldspar. The gold grade typically ranges from 20 to 200 g/t, with some high-grade concentrates reaching several hundred grams per ton. The sulfur content is high, often accompanied by harmful impurities such as arsenic and antimony. It appears as fine-grained or powdery dry or semi-dry concentrate. Its main use is as a raw material for pyrometallurgical or hydrometallurgical gold extraction processes, particularly suitable for pretreatment of refractory gold ores such as pressure oxidation, which fully exposes the encapsulated gold for subsequent cyanide leaching or direct extraction. The chemical formula of gold is Au, and it is often embedded in sulfide minerals in the form of native gold particles.
Time period
2021
2026
Geography
China
Geography comment
Generated by merging multiple data sets in this geographical location.
Macroeconomic value
Business-as-Usual
Data validation
Yes
Technology
Current Technology
Technology comment
The gold ore is first subjected to pre-acidification, with a portion of water added to form a slurry, and appropriate preheating is performed to ensure the temperature conditions in the autoclave. Pressure oxidation (POX) is then carried out in the autoclave at 190°C under an oxygen-rich environment to oxidize pyrite, arsenopyrite, and other sulfides, concurrently releasing the encapsulated gold and generating sulfuric acid and iron arsenate precipitates. The oxidized slurry is sent to a thickener, where the underflow enters countercurrent decantation (CCD) washing to clean the solids, while part of the supernatant is recycled back to pre-acidification and part is neutralized. Finally, a solid oxidized concentrate is obtained, which serves as feedstock for subsequent hydrometallurgical leaching or pyrometallurgical refining.