Intensification of heap leaching of gold from finely dispersed ore using nanotechnologies [ИНТЕНСИФИКАЦИЯ КУЧНОГО ВЫЩЕЛАЧИВАНИЯ ЗОЛОТА ИЗ ТОНКОДИСПЕРСНЫХ РУД С ИСПОЛЬЗОВАНИЕМ НАНОТЕХНОЛОГИЙ]

Currently gold mining practitioners pay increasing much attention to heap leaching technologies as they enable metal extraction from rather low-grade ore: gold at the content of 0.5–2 g/t; copper at 0.15–0.5%, uranium at 0.02–0.07% U9O8 etc. However, an essential drawback of this technology is loss of process (leaching) solutions and agents in evaporation from the surface and slopes of heap leaching piles, or, vice versa, their dilution with atmospheric fallout. Another serous fault of the technologies is loss of finely dispersed gold in the form of floating ‘islands’. One of the preferable solutions to these technical and geoecological problems is application of different coatings in order to reduce evaporation of process solution to atmosphere in dry-weather periods and to control water flows in rainy seasons (to prevent penetration of process solution in natural surface and ground water). Furthermore, the purpose-oriented control of these aspects can ensure the required quality of process solutions: optimal values of pH, Eh and surface tension, which greatly govern origination and life span of the floating nanogold islands. © 2020 Publishing house Mining book. All rights reserved.