METALLURGICAL REPORT

Technical Document

Document No: Version No: Issue Date: Page No: January 2012 1 of 9

Metallurgical Laboratory Report

Principal Author Gideon Nyakpenu (National Service Personnel)

Prepared for; Newmont Ghana Gold Ltd. Ahafo Kenyasi, B/A, Ghana

January 2012

Author: Approved by:

Gideon Nyakpenu

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METALLURGICAL REPORT
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Metallurgical Laboratory Report INTRODUCTION

The metallurgical laboratory is an integral part of the processing plant at Newmont. The laboratory aims at performing known and unknown routine test works. This report basically outlines the various activities like bottle roll test, quality assurance and quality control analysis, carbon activity analysis, specific gravity solids determination, carbon activity, rhodanine indicator preparation, silver nitrate preparation, copper sulphate and potassium permanganate measurement, preparation of standard solutions etc, that are undertaken in the laboratory and their significance.

Author: Approved by:

Gideon Nyakpenu

To Be Reviewed: Print Date:

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METALLURGICAL REPORT
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Metallurgical Laboratory Report

NEWMONT METALLURGICAL LABORATORY WORK Major Works at the Metallurgical Laboratory Bottle roll test Quality assurance Quality control (QA-QC) Carbon activity Composite carbon activity

Specific gravity solids determination

Rhodanine indicator preparation (0.02%) Silver nitrate preparation

Copper sulphate and potassium permanganate measurement Preparation of standard gold solutions

Bottle Roll Test Bottle roll test is a preliminary test to determine the leach ability of an ore by cyanide. This type of test involves the placing sample in bottles with cyanide. The bottle is placed on an apparatus that rotates the bottle keeping the sample and the cyanide mixing together at all times, usually 24 hours. Procedure Bottle roll test is done every Mondays and repeated on Tuesdays.

Weekly Carbon-In- Leach (CIL) feed samples are taken for analysis.e.g.1st-7th, 8th-14th etc.

CIL samples for every week are mixed thoroughly to obtain a homogenous mixture. 6000g of the homogenous sample is measured and divided into 3000g each with the aid of a splitter.
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Metallurgical Laboratory Report

750g is measured into a container. 250g is taken from the 750g as head grade into envelopes and the remaining 500g as grade in solution and in tails into bottles for leaching.

Head grade envelope is labelled as MLABHG (n) where n =01-04 and the date, written as YYYYMMDD. Example 20111114

1g of lime is measured added to each bottle containing the sample of fifty percent solids to control the pH thus preventing the evolution of hydrogen cyanide gas. Sodium cyanide concentrations of 200ppm, 230ppm, 260ppm and 300ppm representing 0.1g, 0.115g, 0.13g, and 0.15g respectively of mass of solid cyanide is also added and 500ml of water for leaching at a speed of 50 rev/min for 24hours in the presence of oxygen at 50% solids.

The leached product is filtered to obtain the residue and filtrate The residue is dried in an oven to obtain weight of dry mass. The volume and weight of the filtrate is determined for each bottle (e.g. 200ppm, 230ppm, 230ppm and 300ppm bottle).

The results are finally entered into the bottle roll log sheet.

The filtrate to be submitted for analysis is labelled as MLABS(n) where n=20A-20D for 200ppm, 230A-23D for 230ppm, 26A-26D for 260ppm and lastly 30A-30D for 300ppm and the date is written as YYYYMMDD e.g. 20111114.

The dried residue is labelled as MLABP(n) where n=20A-20D for 200ppm, 230A-23D for 230ppm, 26A-26D for 260ppm and lastly 30A-30D for 300ppm and the date is written as YYYYMMDD Example e.g. 20111114.

Quality Assurance Quality Control (QA-QC) This is done to ascertain or gather information about the authenticity of the analytical results performed. This is done every week. Procedure 15 leach feed samples are picked randomly .i.e. 5 CIL feed, 5 tails and 5 overflow samples.
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Metallurgical Laboratory Report

5 gold standard samples are prepared. 5 carbon standard samples are also selected.

5 feed and 5 tails filtrate sample are randomly selected and duplicated thus partially filled into another bottle to be sent for analysis. The sample is labelled as MLSPPS (n) where n= 01-20 and the date as YYYYMMDD

The assay results are then entered onto the metallurgical QA-QC spreadsheet.

Carbon Activity Carbon activity is done to basically to determine the adsorption capacity of the various carbons (loaded, barren and regenerated carbons). This is a very important variable that should be met if activated carbon is to be introduced in gold adsorption circuit. This is done every week. Procedure

Three carbon samples in envelopes each for loaded, barren and regenerated carbon are picked randomly every week, e.g. Between the 1st to 7th days of a particular week.

The three samples for each carbon is duplicated thus half filled into another envelope with the same labelling. Composite Carbon Activity This is done at the end of every month by selecting wet loaded, barren and regenerated carbon samples from week one to four and prepared for shipping. Its aim is to determine all carbon related analysis like adsorption capacity, rate of adsorption etc. of the various carbons. Procedure The wet loaded, barren and regenerated carbon samples are first sorted into their various weeks after selection of the carbon samples. The carbon samples are washed and dried in an oven. The samples are then allowed to cool.
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Metallurgical Laboratory Report

100g of the carbon samples is measured for sieve analysis for 10 minutes to determine the size range of the carbon.

Some quantity of the regenerated carbon is sent for adsorption capacity analysis. weighed into sample bags and shipped for further analysis.

500g of the dried loaded, barren and regenerated carbon samples for weeks one to four are

Specific Gravity Solids Determination This is done basically to determine the specific gravity of ore treated to help control parameters on the plant. It is mostly done every two weeks.

Procedure Eight Carbon- In- Leach (CIL) feed sample envelops is selected from day 1 to 16 at random. The weight of a clean, dry, 100 ml volumetric flask is noted. The flask is then filled to the 100ml mark with distilled water.

Partially empty the flasks into a beaker to avoid spilling the solid sample. 23-25 grams of dried CIL feed sample is weighed into each flask and the weight also noted.

Water is added from beaker back into flask, rinsing any particles stuck to side of flask. The sample in the flask is gently swirled, making sure all surfaces are wet. Top up the flask to the 100ml mark using distilled water. Make certain that the outside of the flask is completely dry.

The weight of the flask with distilled water and sample is weighed and recorded onto the log sheet and consequently the specific gravity of the solids determined using the log sheet.

Rhodanine Preparation (0.02%) Rhodanine is used as an indicator when performing titration using silver nitrate and the aliquot from the CIL feed to determine the end point in knowing whether there is complete neutralization or not. Procedure

Weigh 0.2g of rhodanine powder into a 1000ml flask.

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Metallurgical Laboratory Report

Add 200ml of acetone.

Shake the flask well to dissolution to occur.

Top up the flask with acetone to the 1000ml mark. The date of preparation of the rhodanine is written.

Densitometer Calibration This is done to manually determine the densities of CIL feed, CIL tails, CCD 1& 2 and CCD tails to be compared to an automatic device (densitometer).

Procedure Samples are taken from the CIL feed, CIL tails, CCD 1& 2 and CCD tails. The weight of the bucket, slurry, lid and funnel for all the samples is noted. The volume of slurry in the cylinders for each sample is noted. The weight of the bucket, lid and funnel at the end of the test is also noted. The noted values are recorded in the densitometer calibration log sheet and the densities of the samples thus determined.

Silver Nitrate Preparation The major technique used by the gold-mining industry for the analysis of cyanide in leach liquors is silver nitrate titration. Silver nitrate is titrated against 10ml of leach liquor using rhodanine as an indicator to determine the concentration of cyanide in each Carbon-In-Leach (CIL) tank. Procedure

1.733g of silver nitrate is weighed into a 1000ml volumetric flask.

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Metallurgical Laboratory Report

Add some amount of distilled water and shake well to dissolve. Top up to the 1000ml mark on flask. Transfer into appropriate labelled bottle.

Write date of preparation on the bottle.

For CIL use 2000ml and 1000ml for CCD (Counter Current Decantation) of distilled water respectively in the preparation process.

Copper Sulphate and Potassium Permanganate Measurement 12g of KMnO4 (potassium permanganate) and 1g CuSO4 (Copper sulphate) is weighed and fed to CIL tails to neutralize cyanide before the slurry is pumped to the tailings dam. Preparation of 1000mL, 100mg/L of gold solution from a gold stock of concentration 1000mg/L and HCl concentration of 10% v/v Apparatus 100ml pipette 1000ml volumetric flask HCl Distilled water

Procedure

Pipette 100ml of the 100mgL gold stock solution into 1000mL volumetric flask. Pipette 100ml of Hydrochloric acid into the volumetric flask and shake well to obtain a homogenous mixture.

Top up to the 1000ml mark on flask with distilled water.

Author: Approved by:

Gideon Nyakpenu

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Metallurgical Laboratory Report

CONCLUSION
It can be concluded that the metallurgical laboratory is an essential part of the process operations and cannot be left out. Moreover, the laboratory serves as a control to the plant mimicking the processes on the plant and taking reasonable measures to rectify any discrepancies.
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Metallurgical Laboratory Report

Finally, these corrective measures when put in place will lead to increase in productivity.

Author: Approved by:

Gideon Nyakpenu

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