Bulk leaching is a reliable, cost effective procedure used to recover gold from bulk ore that has had minimal pretreatment.
Around the world, SGS’ metallurgical teams are available to design flowsheets and then batch test or pilot bulk leach programs for heap, column or vat leaching. These approaches develop and then prove the metallurgical recovery procedures that are ideally suited to your ore, your expected recovery rates and compliance to the environmental regulations in your jurisdiction.
Bulk leaching is a metallurgical procedure that is conducted at ambient temperature and pressure. During bulk leaching, run of mine (ROM) or crushed ore is placed in a heap, column, vat or tank. The bulk ore is then leached with a solution containing cyanide, thiosulfate, various strains of bacteria or other lixiviants, depending upon the composition of the ore and your requirements. The pay elements, usually gold and copper, are dissolved into the leachate and subsequently recovered, often by CIL or electrowinning.
SGS is the world leader in bankable metallurgical testing. We have years of experience with bulk leaching and a wide range of other metallurgical procedures for gold and other metals. Contact us early in your proposal and planning stage to discuss the many options available to you. We will work with you to develop the system that optimizes recovery and improves the bottom line of your metallurgical operations.