The gold flotation process is a commonly used gold extraction method. With the continuous progress and development of industrial technology, the gold ore flotation process has also witnessed a rapid development. There has been considerable progress in beneficiation process, new chemicals and designs. Here are the advantages and disadvantages of the gold flotation process.
1. Wide range of applications
The flotation process is mainly suitable for the treatment of sulfide gold-bearing quartz vein ore with fine gold particles and high floatability, polymetallic gold-bearing sulfide ore and carbon (graphite) ore, etc., and the effect is very significant;
The flotation process can also be used to process polymetallic gold-bearing ores, such as gold-copper, gold-lead, gold-antimony, gold-copper-lead-zinc-sulfur and other ores;
For the so-called "insoluble ores" that cannot be directly processed by amalgamation or cyanidation, a combined process including flotation is also required.
2. To maximize the enrichment of gold into sulfide minerals
Gold extraction by flotation method can enrich gold into sulfide minerals to a greater extent, which facilitates the subsequent gold extraction process. A better recovery rate can be obtained, conducive to the comprehensive recovery of mineral resources.
3. Tailings can be directly discarded
In the process of flotation, only flotation reagents need to be added without toxic substances such as cyanide, which will not cause pollution to the environment, so the tailings of the flotation process can be directly discarded, which reduces the cost.
4. Low cost of beneficiation
Compared with other gold extraction processes, the gold flotation process has a lower input cost. The equipment required for flotation gold extraction is the same as that required for other ore, including crushing, screening, grinding, flotation and other equipment. The cost of the flotation equipment is relatively low. In addition, you don’t need to process the tailings.
The advantages of gold ore flotation have been mentioned above. Of course, any process will have shortcomings. The disadvantage of gold flotation technology is that it is difficult to obtain stable flotation foam after slurry mixing for ore with coarse-grained inlaid cloth and gold particle size greater than 0.2 mm, and for sulfide-free quartz containing gold ore. In addition, because the flotation method can only maximize the enrichment of gold into various sulfide mineral concentrates, it cannot directly produce gold product. Therefore, few gold concentrators adopt a single flotation process. Instead, they generally use flotation as a part of a combined process.
The above introduces you the advantages and disadvantages of gold flotation process. Of course, the determination of the beneficiation process still needs to be determined by flotation tests. Only through rigorous and scientific tests can a better and more suitable mineral recovery method be determined. If you want to get a higher gold recovery rate and concentrated grade, welcome to contact us.
