• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.113-126
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• 2019

This study aimed to effectively dissolve sulfide minerals through microwave-nitric acid leaching of invisible gold concentrate and then recover gold from the solid-residue with fire assay. For the purposes, this study conducted microwave-nitric acid leaching experiments to examine nitric acid concentration, time of microwave leaching, and sample addition effect. As results of the experiments, this study discovered that the weight loss rate of solid-residue increased as nitric acid concentration and microwave leaching time increased while weight loss rate decreased as sample addition increased. In an XRD analysis with solid-residue, it was discovered that pyrite completely disappeared when the nitric acid concentrate was 6 M and the microwave leaching time was 18 minutes. When a fire assay was carried out with solid-residue, gold particles with more content were recovered as nitric acid concentration and microwave leaching time increased whereas gold particles with more gold content were recovered as the sample addition decreased.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.45-54
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• 2013

In order to dissolve Au, Ag, and other valuable metals from gold ore concentrate, raw gold concentrate was pre-treated by roasting and salt-roasting at $750^{\circ}C$. The roasted concentrate was treated with aqua regia digestion to dissolve the valuable metals and higher amount of Au, Ag, and valuable metals were extracted from the roasted concentrates than from the raw concentrate. Higher amount of these metals were also extracted from the salt-roasted concentrate than from the roasted concentrate. The results of the gold dissolution experiments showed that the gold dissolution was most efficient when particle size, roasting temperature, and the percentage of added salt in salt roasting were about $181{\sim}127{\mu}m$, $750^{\circ}C$, and was 20.0%, respectively. The XRD analysis suggests that quartz and pyrite were not destroyed even through roasting at $750^{\circ}C$ and decomposition with aqua regia. However, through salt roasting, pyrite was completely decomposed, whereas quartz could not be destroyed through salt-roasting at $750^{\circ}C$ and aqua regia digestion. Accordingly, it was expected that the gold contained in quartz can not be dissolved through salt-roasting and treatment with aqua regia.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.21-28
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• 2013

In order to optimize gold leaching from refractory sulfide concentrate, a HCl-NaClO-$FeCl_3$ solution with varying attributes was applied to the roasted concentrate from Uil mine. The gold from Uil mine occurs in the form of invisible gold that is difficult to leach. The results of the gold leaching experiments showed that the best gold leaching parameters were $550^{\circ}C$ of roasting temperature, 2.0 M of concentration, 1.0% of pulp density, and $70^{\circ}C$ of leaching temperature. It is confirmed that the HCl-NaClO-$FeCl_3$ solution was an environmentally friendly method to leach gold and silver from the refractory sulfide concentrate as an alternative lixiviant to cyanide.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.185-200
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• 2019

This study aimed to liberate gold from invisible gold concentrate (Au = 1,840.00 g/t) through microwave nitric acid leaching experiments. For the purpose, this study conducted microwave-nitric acid leaching experiments and examined nitric acid concentration effect, microwave leaching time effect and sample addition effect. The results of the experiments were as follows: Au (gold) contents were not detected in all of the microwave leaching conditions. In the insoluble-residue, weight loss rate tended to decrease as the nitric acid concentration, microwave leaching time and sample addition increased. In an XRD analysis with solid-residue, it was suggested that gypsum and anglesite were formed due to dissolution of calcite and galena by nitric acid solution. When a fire assay was carried out with insoluble-residue, it was discovered that gold contents of the solid-residue were 1.3 (Au = 2,464.70 g/t) and 28.8 (52,952.80 g/t) times more than those of concentrate. But in the gold contents recovered, a severe gold nugget effect appeared. It is expected that the gold nugget effect will decrease if a sampling method of concentrate is improved in the microwave-nitric acid leaching experiments and filtering paper with smaller pore size is used for leaching solution and burned filter paper is used for sampling in lead-fire assay.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.52 no.6
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• pp.595-604
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• 2019

The purpose of this study was simply to obtain gold through a microwave-nitric acid experiment of invisible gold concentrate with the use of filter paper. For the purpose, this study conducted a microwave-nitric acid leaching experiment and examined nitric acid concentration. As a result of the experiment, this study discovered that Fe, Te and Ag were completely leached in the leaching solution whereas Au was not determined in all of the nitric acid conditions. The leaching solution was filtered with three filter papers and then these filter papers were analyzed with SEM/EDS. As a result of the EDS analysis, Au was detected in all of the surface and cross-section of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd filter papers. As the three filter papers containing solid-residue were analysed in the lead-fire assay, gold particles were found in all of the nitric acid conditions. In the lead-fire assay, maximum gold(452.50g/t) was recovered when nitric acid concentration was 6M and microwave leaching time was 12mins.