Cradle to Gate
Identity ID
ed350721-7cbd-4b8c-a88b-b12da9183180
Materials
Associated ID
6a60afe2-bfa2-41ea-bfb6-ace7ce794605
Included activities starts
Included activities ends
Description
This dataset represents a product that is gold-loaded carbon, an intermediate product formed by activated carbon adsorbing gold–cyanide complexes after gold-ore oxidized concentrate undergoes a cyanide-leaching process, in the form of black solid particles or particle agglomerates. Its core characteristics are distinctive: a highly porous structure and an ultra-large specific surface area, enabling efficient adsorption of gold–cyanide complexes; stable chemical properties that do not readily decompose in an alkaline cyanide environment; a tough physical structure that can withstand subsequent recovery operations such as elution and electrolysis; and a surface rich in gold complexes, making it the core raw material for subsequent gold extraction. The upstream core raw material of this product is gold-ore oxidized concentrate, with auxiliary raw materials including cyanide, activated carbon and alkaline solution; the downstream is mainly used in the gold-recovery process, where gold is desorbed through processes such as elution and electrolysis to then prepare pure-gold products; it is the key intermediate carrier linking the oxidized concentrate and pure-gold products in the gold-smelting 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 cyanide leaching process, covering the process of obtaining gold-loaded carbon from oxidized concentrate.
Process Description
The gold-loaded carbon formed after cyanide leaching of gold ore oxidized concentrate refers to activated carbon that has adsorbed gold and appears as black solid particles or particle clumps. It has a highly porous structure and a large specific surface area, allowing gold cyanide complexes to be efficiently adsorbed. It has stable chemical properties and is not easily decomposed in an alkaline cyanide environment. Its physical structure is tough and can withstand subsequent elution and electrolysis operations. Its surface is rich in gold complexes, providing raw materials for subsequent gold recovery.
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 oxidized concentrate obtained by pressure oxidation is first added to an alkaline cyanide solution for leaching, and the gold is dissolved in the form of Au(CN)2-. Impurities such as copper and sulfides may increase cyanide and oxygen consumption, so appropriate mineral pretreatment is required. Carbonaceous or clay materials in refractory ores may adsorb gold cyanide complexes, therefore carbon-in-leach (CIL) is used to capture dissolved gold. Subsequently, the gold is desorbed from the activated carbon through elution to obtain a gold-rich solution of smaller volume. Finally, the gold is recovered through electrolysis to obtain gold-loaded carbon as a raw material for subsequent processing or gold purification.