Inventors:
K. Marc LeVier - Salt Lake City UT
Richard B. Clayton - Salt Lake City UT
Assignee:
Newmont Gold Co. - Denver CO
Newmont Mining Corp. - Denver CO
International Classification:
C22B 342, C22B 1108
Abstract:
A hydrometallurgical process for the recovery of precious metal values from refractory precious metal ore materials containing preg-robbing carbon by leaching with a thiosulfate lixiviant, the process comprising
a. providing a body of particles and/or particulates of an ore material having precious metal values and preg-robbing carbonaceous components;
b. contacting the body of particles and/or particulates with a thiosulfate lixiviant solution at conditions conducive to the formation of stable precious metal thiosulfate complexes;
c. recovering the thiosulfate lixiviant from the body of particles and/or particulates after a period of contact which is sufficient for the lixiviant solution to become pregnant with precious metal values extracted from the ore material; and
d. recovering the precious metal values from the lixiviant solution.
In a preferred embodiment, the refractory ore materials are low grade precious metal ore materials.