Gold Extraction Process (Detailed Flowchart)

From raw ore to finished gold ingots, gold ore undergoes seven core processes: crushing and screening, grinding, pre-leaching, carbon leaching, cyanide removal and pressure filtration, electrolytic desorption, and smelting. Each step is interconnected, ultimately achieving gold extraction and purification while simultaneously ensuring the harmless treatment of tailings. The following is a breakdown of the process connections and key explanations:

I. Overall Gold Extraction Process Connections (Flowchart Summary)

Raw Gold Ore → ① Crushing and Screening → ② Grinding → ③ Pre-leaching → ④ Carbon Leaching → "Branch 1: ⑤ Cyanide Removal and Pressure Filtration (Tailings Generation); Branch 2: ⑥ Electrolytic Desorption → ⑦ Smelting (Gold Ingot Generation)"

II. Key Explanations of Each Process

1. ① Crushing and Screening: The core purpose is to crush and classify the raw gold ore, removing impurities to obtain fine ore with a particle size that meets the requirements of subsequent processes, laying the foundation for the subsequent grinding stage.

2. ② Grinding: The crushed and screened ore powder is thoroughly ground with water and lime slurry to produce a slurry with uniform particle size that meets leaching requirements, ensuring sufficient leaching of gold and silver in subsequent processes.

3. ③ Pre-leaching: Sodium cyanide is added to the ground slurry. Through a chemical reaction, the gold and silver in the slurry are completely leached out, transforming it into an extractable oxidized slurry, preparing for the separation and extraction of gold and silver.

4. ④ Carbon leaching: Lime slurry, sodium cyanide, and activated carbon are added to the oxidized slurry. Utilizing the adsorption properties of activated carbon, gold and silver are extracted from the slurry, forming gold-loaded carbon (used for subsequent purification). The remaining slurry containing impurities is transported to the cyanide removal and filtration stage.

5. ⑤ Cyanide removal and filtration (tailings treatment): Sodium metabisulfite and lime slurry are added to the slurry after carbon leaching. The cyanide ions in the slurry are oxidized to non-toxic cyanide ions. After filtration, the tailings are formed, achieving harmless disposal.

6. ⑥ Electrolytic Desorption: The gold-loaded carbon obtained from the carbon leaching process undergoes carbon-gold separation. This yields gold-rich sludge and recovers recyclable activated carbon, improving resource utilization.

7. ⑦ Smelting: The gold sludge obtained from electrolytic desorption is roasted and purified under high-temperature conditions to ultimately form finished gold ingots that meet purity standards and are ready for direct use.

The entire process balances efficient gold extraction with environmentally friendly disposal. Each step is closely integrated to ensure gold extraction efficiency and product quality, while simultaneously achieving harmless treatment of tailings, meeting the requirements of green mining development.