Problem Analysis of Merril Crowe Process at PT NHM

Irsan B.M. Harahap, Anggi M. Simatupang, and Josiah Pasaribu.1

1
Departemen Teknik Metalurgi dan Material, Fakultas Teknik, Universitas Indonesia,
Kampus UI Depok 16424, Indonesia

Abstract. Purification of a mineral basically requires an extraction

process. The extraction process used in each mineral requires a
different process depending on the initial conditions of the type of
mineral and the final conditions to be obtained. At PT. NHM, the
desired result is pure gold extracted using the merril crowe process. The
merril crowe process basically uses cementation zinc which will depose
gold on the zinc surface. Merril Crowe Process consist of series of thick
work, four units of Auto-Jet Pressure Leaf Filters (US Filters), de-
aeration tower, zinc emultion system, and zinc filter press.
 pregnant solution 3.5 m height in
1. Introduction 2. Materials & passes to a storage which some grids are
Methods tank which can arranged horizontally
Gold is one of the function as a settler – with the object of
first minerals used by 2.1 Solid-liquid to help remove dispersing the
prehistoric cultures. Separation smaller particles incoming solution
The characteristics of Heap leaching is which could not be into relatively fine
gold is have an the only leaching that removed earlier- films as it flows
ability of resitance to needs a solid-liquid from which it is down through the
chemical atack and separation, with other then pumped to the tank. As a result,
workability. It is leaching methods canister precoat virtually all the
most commonly the pregnant type filter solution is freely
found as solution goes clarification units exposed to the
disseminated grains straight to the where undissolved vacuum in the
in quartz veins with clarifying tank. solids are removed. cylinder and thus the
pyrite and other Separation uses the This happens in other dissolved oxygen is
sulphides, or as Counter Current cases that removed. The
rounded grains, Decanter (CCD) preliminary settling quantity of removed
flakes or nuggets in thickeners before may extend to the use air varies from 20 to
placer deposits in being clarified. From of two or three 40 mg per litre
recent to ancient the leaching tanks conical bottom tanks depending on
stream and river where cyanide and sometimes have ambient temperature.
deposits. Gold is solution is added to a mechanical device
often panned from gold, the slurry is to remove sediments. 2.4 Adition of zinc
such deposits by sent to the CCD tank, The overflow goes dust
taking advantage of shown in figure 5 to a storage tank or The filtered, de-
its high density to below, the pregnant sump ahead of the oxygenated solution
wash away the solution and solids clarifiers and the flows through the
lighter sediments separate. The underflow is returned zinc mixing chamber
from a pan or sluice. pregnant solution to the filtration where zinc dust is
Merrill-Crowe contains water with circuit for recycling. blown through the
process is the minerals and cyanide solution.
technique used to cyanide and solids Zinc is added to
separate gold from a that go in the solidify gold. Zinc
cyanide leach downstream contain 2.3 De-aeration is added at a steady
solution. It is slurry with low The filtered state using a slow
cementation using value minerals. The pregnant solution moving feeder belt or
zinc powder. The unit efficiency of the flows through the de- a vibrating feeder.
operations of the decanters can be oxygenation chamber Zinc feeders are
Merrill-Crowe increased by with 4 to 8 ppm of normally 80-100 cm
process include; improving the dissolved oxygen in diameter and 100-
solid-liquid washing efficiency, removed. Typically 120 cm deep. At the
separation, increase the water has 6 to 8 ppm stage lead nitrate in
clarification, vacuum clarification at the of dissolved oxygen crystal form or
de-aeration in packed thickener overflow in it. De-oxygenation concentrated solution
towers, zinc addition and reduce the is conducted by form if it was not
and filtration of overflow of minerals. passing the clarified added before
precipitated gold and solution through a aeration.
silver using pressure 2.2 Clarifying Crowe tank, which
filters After separating usually has a cylinder 2.5 Filtration of
the solids, the of 2 m diameter by precipitated gold
 After individual particles case problem there usual and Clarifying
precipitating the that are generally are several case Filters was at the
gold/silver, the press invisible to the naked which have been same condition. If the
filters are used to eye, similar to smoke discussed. The first pregnant solution is
separate the precious in air. The problem is total exceptionally dirty
metals from the measurement of hardness was to be (i.e high solids
solution. Several turbidity is a key test around 300 ppm, and content), the
filter presses are of water quality. now became steady operating cycle of the
arranged in parallel Correlations around 1000 ppm. clarifier will become
so that one filter can between total The flow of pregnant quite short. The
be cleaned while the suspended solids or solution whose send thickener operator
others suspended sediment to precipitate process and the filter operator
are in operation concentrations in now is 220 m3/h and must be made aware
normally in a weekly mg/L and turbidity in become bottleneck in of the problem as
routine. After a cycle turbidity units can be overall Merril-Crowe early as possible to
has completed the made with linear circuit water balance. prevent clarifier
cake is blown regression analysis, Performance of US operation from
with air to dry it, provided enough data Filter performance limiting production.
the pressed is is collected. In purely was decrease The clarifier must be
opened and most of mineral-based significantly, now it taken out of service
the filter cake is samples, this only able to reduce and the cleaning
discharged into a relationship is turbidity to 9 ntu, cycle initiated.
wheeled tray placed expressed through dissolve oxygen Total hardness at
beneath the press. the following barely reach 2 ppm the solution is 1000
The remaining equation. and zinc addition still ppm can be reduced
cementation cake is kept in 70 g/min to with several
removed using NTU = a * TSSb maintain 0,05 ppm methods. Ion
scrapers. According gold in barren exchange may be the
to Chi, 1997 it is NTU = Turbidity solution. For solution for
evident that most Measurement efficiency project, the decreasing total
cementation occurs TSS = consumption of hardness in solution
in the feed pipe and Suspended cyanide was reduced by exchange the Ca2+
in the plate-and- solids from 450 pmm to and Mg2+. In general,
frame filter press. measureme 400 ppm. if your plant runs
Parga, Wan and nt in mg/L As metallurgist, consistently at a
Miller’s research A = we must know what lower flow rate,
show that 10% of the regression- is the root cause of you’re usually
silver is precipitated estimated all this problem and looking at a lower
in the pipe while the coefficient impact of process capital cost for your
remaining 90% is b = plant performance ion exchange system.
removed in the filter regression- regarding flowrate If your plant
presses as the estimated pregnant solution generally runs a
solution passes coefficient, flowrate decrement. greater flow in a
though the cake. approximat The root cause of all shorter amount of
ely equal to this problem is the time, your capital
2.6 Turbidity 1 total hardness was cost is usually higher
Turbidity is the increased to 1000 for equipment. Since
cloudiness or 3. Results and ppm from 300 ppm ion exchange can be
haziness of a fluid Discussion and the Hopper very complex, as can
caused by large At this Clarifier can’t take be the cost, a 20
numbers of condition, with the this operation like gallon per minute
system with two flocculation process have plan to shut 1
vessels Such that each is a primary and cost- US Filter for a week
(cation/anion), all mole of alum added effective process in and 3 weeks de-
FRP and PVC piping, uses six moles of water treatment aeration tower off for
using eductors alkalinity and plants which can mechanical
instead of chemical produces six moles effectively remove maintenance so the
feed pumps, with a of carbon dioxide. turbidity from high to sediment can be
simple control panel The above reaction low turbid waters check in overall
and minimal shifts the carbonate when operational circuit and can be
instruments can be equilibrium and condition is cleaned if there was a
other option. This decrease the pH. optimized. sediment.
type of system might However, as long Optimization of pH There is no
run $50,000 to as sufficient and coagulant dose dissolved gold in
$100,000. alkalinity is present may increase the barren solution which
The problems and CO2 is allowed coagulation is concentration of
doesn’t finish yet, to evolve, the pH efficiency and reduce gold maintain at level
high turbidity can is not drastically the sludge volume < 0,05 ppm. If there
caused dissolve reduced and is and subsequently is more gold in
oxygen barely reach generally not an sludge management barren solution, the
2 ppm. Turbidity operational problem. costs. Coagulant aids first step is to
must decrease at the When sufficient may improve increase the zinc
level of 2-3 NTU. alkalinity is not coagulation process dosage rate. Lead
Turbidity was present to neutralize and turbidity nitrate addition have
affected by total the sulfuric acid removal. But it to maintain at 200
hardness in solution. production, the pH should be considered ppm while zinc
If total hardness was may be greatly that coagulant aids powder added to
at low level, so does reduced: should not increase Zink Precipitation
turbidity. In this water treatment Tank to ensure that
study Alum, the most Literature reveal costs significantly. precipitate made up.
common chemical highest turbidity Their accessibility Efficient project that
coagulant was used removal using alum and preparation reduce consumption
to determine its was observed at procedure should of cyanide decrease
capacity to reduce optimum pH also be considered from 450 ppm to 400
turbidity of conditions i.e, 6-7. when selecting a ppm can make
synthetic water. The Apart from coagulant aid. The efficiency of zinc
removal of turbidity coagulant dose and price of alum is decrease.
from water is pH, agitation time $170/ton. To ensure gold
important because and settling time Pregnant in barren solution
colloids may directly also play a vital role solution flowrate was kept in lower than
or indirectly threaten in turbidity decrease because of 0,05 ppm need to be
the human health. reduction. The total hardness done all of the
Aluminum can be current study can be increase to 1000 ppm problem first. The
purchased as either recommended for and might be because main thing that must
dry or liquid alum further investigation of there was a be aware of is
[Al2(SO4)3.14H2O]. under varying sedimentation of addition of zinc
When alum is agitation time and MgCO3 and CaCO3 at powder must be
added to a water settling time several place which increase than 70
containing alkalinity, conditions in order to made a bottleneck g/min because to
the following enhance turbidity and flowrate major problem that
reaction removal efficiency. decrease. While next involved from the
occurs : Coagulation and week maintance will efficiency of
consumption cyanide Total Reference %20meth
decrease from 450 Hardness, and ods.pdf
ppm to 400 ppm and can be Makoba, Mmoloki.
dissolve oxygen decrease by (2013). Gexla Chi, Maurice
barely reach 2 ppm. alum with Zinc C.
coagulation Precipitati Fuerstenau
5. Conclusion and on on Gold , John O.
1) The root floccation. Recovery. Marsden.
cause 6) There was Botswana: (1997).
problem is some Botswana Study of
increasing sedimentation Internation Merril-
total hardness (MgCO3 & al Crowe
from 300 ppm CaCO3) University Processing
to 1000 ppm. because of of Science . Part I:
2) The major total hardness and Solubility
impact of increase in Techology. of Zinc in
flowrate several place Alkaline
Gao, Q. (2006). Cyanide
pregnant of overall Correlatio
solution circuit. Solution.
n of Total Reno:
flowrate 7) The solubility Suspended
decrement is of zinc Internation
Solids al Journal
the product of increases with (TSS) and
gold in barren increasing of Mineral
Suspended Processing,
solution cyanide Sediment
would be up concentration Elsevier.
Concentrat
to 0,05 ppm in alkaline ion (SSC) Mular, Andrew L.
3) The full cyanide Test Halbe,
clarifier must solution. Methods. Doug N.
be cleaned. 8) The solubility In New Barratt,
4) Total of zinc Jersey Derek J.
hardness can increases with Departmen (2002).
be reduce increasing t of Mineral
with 20 dissolved Environme Processing
gallon per oxygen ntal Plant
minute concentration Protection Design,
system with in solution. Division of Practice,
two vessels 9) To ensure Science, and
(cation/anion) gold in barren Research, Control
, all FRP and solution kept and Proceedin
PVC piping, in lower than Technolog gs.
using 0,05 ppm y . Colorado
eductors need to be Retrieved USA: The
instead of done all of from Society for
chemical feed the problem http://ww Mining,
pumps, with a first and w.state.nj. Metallurgy,
simple increase of us/dep/dsr and
control panel addition zinc /soils/tss Exploratio
and minimal powder more %20vs n, Inc.
instruments. than 70 %20ssc
5) Turbidity can g/min. %20test SAMCO. (2017).
affected by How Much
 Does an Parga, J.R. Wan, R.Y.
Ion (1986).
Exchange Zinc-dust
System cementatio
Cost ?. n of silver
Buffalo, from
NY: alkaline
SAMCO. cyanide
Retrieved solution-
from analysis of
https://ww Merrill-
w.samcote Crowe
ch.com/ho plant data.
w-much- Salt Lake
ion- City:
exchange- University
system- of Utah.
cost/

Alibaba.com.
Aluminium
Sulphate
Prices.
Retrieved
from
https://ww
w.alibaba.
com/show
room/alu
minum-
sulfate-
prices.htm
l

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