Summary of BSc.

In Mineral Engineering Thesis Report

The use of quebracho tannin in reducing colloidal gold loss in the Counter- Current
Decantation(CCD) wash liquor in a Biological Oxidation Metallurgical plant in gold processing
Counter-Current Decantation (CCD) thickening is generally a dewatering process, which works
on the principle of elutriation and basically involves a process where hydraulic water is utilised
in fluidising a system of ore particles. Particles with terminal velocities lower than the hydraulic
water will be forced upwards becoming more buoyant and therefore float as the overflow. On the
other hand, particles with greater terminal velocities than the velocity of the hydraulic water will
sink due to the high weight as underflow (Anon, 2009).
Counter-current decantation washing is used in washing gold concentrates after bio-oxidation.
The waste liquor containing dissolved arsenic and sulphuric acid among others are washed off as
overflow while the concentrate reports at the bottom and is pumped for gold recovery. Even
though gold has a high specific gravity, fine gold particles of size lower than 0.2 m become
hydrophobic and finally float, thus reporting as overflow material.
Gold mined at Golden Star Bogoso/Prestea Limited (GSBPL) is highly refractory in nature and
in order to liberate the gold particles prior to cyanidation, the sulphide mineral matrix must first
be destroyed. This can be done by roasting, pressure oxidation or as in the case of Bogoso, by the
BIOX process. The BIOX process employs bacteria consisting of Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans,
Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans and Leptospirillum ferroxidans (Amankwah, 2010).
GSBPL employs bacterial oxidation (BIOX process) to liberate gold from its flotation
concentrate. Gold occurs primarily as submicroscopic particles in pyrite and arsenopyrite and
therefore not amenable to direct cyanidation even with fine grinding (Symes, 2009). Once the
gold is liberated by the oxidation process, it becomes amenable to direct cyanidation. The BIOX
concentrate is washed in counter-current decantation (CCD) thickeners, after which the
thickened slurry is directed for cyanidation, and the washed liquor treated for disposal.
It has been found that a portion of the liberated gold becomes suspended in colloidal state during
the CCD process (Symes, 2009). Thus, the colloidal gold particles are difficult to flocculate

using cationic flocculants. Since the liquid is eventually disposed of as waste, the suspended gold
is consequently lost to tailings.
Research efforts have shown that quebracho tannin is able to settle these colloidal particles
(Symes, 2009). Quebracho is a common name in Spanish used to describe very hard wood tree
species. Quebracho produces tannins that can be extracted in quebracho sawmills from the
heartwood of both red and white quebracho. Tannins are polyphenols, organic materials that are
obtained from various parts of different plants belonging to multiple species. Deriving its name
from the technical word tanning that meant converting animal hides to leather through chemical
processes (Anon, 2011a), it is possible that quebracho tannin may be able to settle colloidal gold
in the overflow generated at Bogoso Mines.
This project thus aims at assessing the causes of gold loss, and also ascertaining the use of
quebracho tannin in reducing colloidal gold loss in CCD tailings at GSBPR.
At the end of the project, a method of settling colloidal gold particles from CCD wash liquor
would be established.