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Ex t r ac t i ve Met al l ur gy Ex t r ac t i ve Met al l ur gy
of Gol d. 2 of Gol d. 2- - Amal gamat i on, Chl or i nat i on Amal gamat i on, Chl or i nat i on
FATHI HABASHI FATHI HABASHI
Department of Mining, Metallurgical, and Materials Engineering Department of Mining, Metallurgical, and Materials Engineering
Laval University, Quebec City, Canada Laval University, Quebec City, Canada
Fathi.Habashi@arul.ulaval.ca Fathi.Habashi@arul.ulaval.ca
AMALGAMATION AMALGAMATION
Discovery of silver in New Spain Discovery of silver in New Spain
Mercury had the importance of Mercury had the importance of
petroleum today because of its use to petroleum today because of its use to
extract silver and gold. extract silver and gold.
Gold and silver were used for Gold and silver were used for
jewellery but also for minting coins jewellery but also for minting coins
needed by the ruler. needed by the ruler.
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Amalgamation
lvaro Alonso Barba
1640
Gold and silver have a high solubility in
mercury.
The amalgam is in form of a paste.
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Arrastra
for grinding the ore
Amalgamation
In patios
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Washing the Amalgam
Stamp mill replaced the arrastra
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Stamp mill
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Amalgamation in agitated tank
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Distillation of amalagam
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Amalgamation process

Mercury
i n Pati o
NaCl + CuSO4
Gangue sl urry
i n Lavaderos
Mi xi ng i n Pati o
Ore
Gri ndi ng
i n Arrastres
Squeezi ng
through canvas
Amal gamati on
Ingots
Water
Mercury
Water
Mercury + Amal gam
Amal gam
Storage Di sti l l ati on
Mel ti ng & Casti ng
Washi ng
Artisanal Amalgamation
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Chlorine
Chlorine was prepared by the Swedish
chemist Scheele in 1774 by the action of
hydrochloric acid on manganese dioxide.
Plattner process
Chlorine water or bleaching
powder acidified with dilute
sulfuric acid were used in
1848 to leach gold from its
ores; the process was
known as the Plattner
Process after its inventor.
In this process, a solution of
AuCl
3
was obtained, from
which gold was precipitated
by ferrous sulfate or
activated charcoal.
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Patera process
The Patera Process, was also
used at about the same time
especially for silver ores.
The ore was roasted with
sodium chloride to convert
silver to silver chloride, and was
then leached with water to
remove base-metal chlorides.
Sodium thiosulfate solution,
Na
2
S
2
O
3
, was then applied to
dissolve silver chloride in a way
similar to its use in developing a
photographic film.
Thiourea process
The solubilizing action of gold and silver in
thiourea may be represented by the oxidation
reduction couple as follows:
Au Au
+
+ e

Au
+
+ 2(NH
2
)
2
CS
[(H
2
N)
2
CSAuSC(NH
2
)
2
]
+
Fe
3+
+ e

Fe
2+
This takes place in acid medium, is faster than
cyanidation, and less toxic.
However, thiourea undergoes appreciable
decomposition during leaching.

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