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By M Runkel, J Hammerschmidt, A Holmstr÷m, A Charitos, J Gnntner

"Roasting of sulfide concentrates and refractory ores is an important process step in the production of metals and chemicals. Sulfides of iron, zinc, copper and other metals are oxidised with air between 600 and 1000¦C into metal oxides or sulfates and gaseous sulfur dioxide. Roasting of gold concentrates and ores is a typical processing step used to produce a porous calcine suitable for cyanide leaching. During roasting, elements posing problems are removed through: oxidation (carbon, sulfur, arsenic and antimony) or volatilisation (mercury, chlorides and tellurides, as well as arsenic and antimony).This paper focuses on the environmental aspect of roasting using fluidised bed technology. The approach is to show that roasting is an attractive solution for refractory ore pretreatment since, on the one hand, it is an efficient technique yielding high gold recovery rates, while on the other it is able to comply with current stringent international environmental regulations. In that respect, roasting is compared to alternative processes, ie pressure oxidation (POX), bio-oxidation (BIOX) and ultra-fine grinding (UFG). Roaster high gold recovery rates are ensured through roasting-leaching test work, which allows the derivation of respective roasting parameters that are easily achieved in an industrial plant. On the other hand, key elements of the roasting process are analysed, which make it an efficient and sustainable technology, ie the possibility for energy recovery, the removal of off-gas impurities during the different gas cleaning steps (handling of arsenic, mercury emissions and further hazardous dust and gas emissions) and the treatment of the SO2-gas in order to produce sulfuric acid, and finally the treatment of the effluent produced. The processÆs environmental aspects are summarised by listing roasting emission values that comply with international regulations.CITATION:Charitos, A, Runkel, M, Gnntner, J, Holmstr÷m, A and Hammerschmidt, J, 2013. Roasting - a study on environmental aspects, off-gas, effluents and residue treatment, in Proceedings World Gold 2013, pp 509-518 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne)."

Sep 26, 2013

By M. G. F. Söhnlein

IN THE metallurgical treatment of sulfide silver-tin ores mined at Oruro, Potosi, and Chocaya, the most important and difficult step is chloridizing-roasting. The ores are chiefly mined from veins in rhyolite, a detailed description of which can be found in most textbooks on ore deposits. The chief gangue minerals are Pyrite and quartz, and the silver content is derived from tetrahedrite, jamesonite, stibnite, and cylindrite. Most of the tin is present in the form of a rather impure cassiterite, which forms microcrystalline aggregates of varying richness with quartz and pyrite; occasionally, some tin is found as stannite, cylindrite, and other complex sulfantimonates. The silver content of the minerals that compose the ore is approximately as follows: Pyrite, 3 to 5 oz. per ton; jamesonite, 30 to 50 oz. per ton; stibnite, 30 to 150 oz. per ton; cylindrite, 200 to 300 oz. per-Jon; tetrahedrite, 500 to 3000 oz. per ton. Occasionally, some ruby silver ore is found, but it is very rare. In the mines of Oruro, which are the deepest in the sulfide zone, tetrahedrite has nearly disappeared, stibnite, jamesonite, and, in the deepest levels, cylindrite taking its place. At present, there are six mills treating this ore, two at Potosi, two at Chocaya, one at Poopo, and one at Machacamarca. The ore is crushed dry, given a chloridizing roast, leached with water and hyposulfite solution (or with brine) to extract gold, silver and copper, and concentrated for tin with or' without regrinding.

Jan 8, 1920

By Dunn J, Nguyen G, Graham J

A pyritic gold concentrate from the Golden Mile, Kalgoorlie, was roasted over a range of temperatures in a pilot scale fluid bed reactor. The calcines were subsequently cyanide leached. Mineralogical studies of the con- centrate, calcines and leached residues were also undertaken. Calcines produced at 500'C gave the poorest gold extractions and high cyanide consumptions. Gold recoveries of approximately 90 per cent were obtained from calcines produced at 550-600'C but higher roasting tempera- tures resulted in an increase in the residual gold content of the leached calcine. There is some evidence of flash smelting of the pyrite at the higher roasting temperatures and encapsulation of gold particles. Mineralogical examination of the calcines shows that the mechanism of oxidation is temperature dependent. At 500'C pyrite is directly oxidized to hematite with a concentric layered texture which appears to inhibit lixiviant access to enclosed gold particles. At higher temperatures the conversion sequence pyrite-pyrrhotite-hematite produces a spongy calcine which al- lows easier penetration by the leaching medium.

Jan 1, 1991

By J. E. Williamson

Introduction 1. Factors on Which the Design of the Roaster Plant was Based The roasting operation at Lake Shore, it was realized from the outset, would be profitable only if costs and losses could be reduced to a low figure. It was absolutely imperative that the operation should be self roasting over the whole range of tonnages and sulphur grades which might obtain during the life of the mine. The roasting operation could not bear the cost in fuel and labour of even a partially fired roast. To meet this requirement, it was necessary to resort to additional insulation in the construction of the roaster and to provide a more flexible means of rabble cooling than the conventional water jacket (see p. 31). A second basic consideration was that of handling a wet, putty-like concentrate. The operating costs of a drier ruled out the possibility of drying the charge before feeding it to the roaster. Moreover, the dusting which would result from charging a dry product virtually all -40 micron (325 mesh) in size would seriously handicap the use of a dryer. Dust lubrication (p. 3S) due to the back-mixing action of the Edwards rabbles, and the use of a Sullivan slapper ( p. 27) on the concentrate filter, completely solved the problem of handling the roast feed. The third consideration was the reduction of dusting to a sufficiently low point that a Cottrell or other dust collecting system was unnecessary. The Edwards roaster when properly supervised, it is believed, can be operated to give the minimum possible dusting. At Lake Shore, the evidence has been that less than 1 per cent dusting occurs at any time and that the greater part of the dust produced is recovered either in the spray tower or in the dust chambers.

Jan 1, 1947

By Lawrence Addicks

(San Francisco Meeting, September, 1915) THROUGH the courtesy of Dr. James Douglas I am permitted to give, a summary of some of the results obtained in leaching slimes tailings in a series of experiments conducted under my direction at Douglas, Ariz.. during the past year. While the test run for which the data are given deals with a particular case, much of the work is general in its application and may therefore be of interest. This work was done upon the ores of the Burro Mountain Copper Co. A description of the geology of the district will be-found in the paper by R. E. Somers published in the May, 1915, Bulletin of the Institute. The mineral is pyrite and chalcocite very finely disseminated throughout the gangue and a characteristic of all the ores is the large amount of alumina present. A representative analysis of the particular ore under consideration would be about as follows: Cu, per cent 2.35 S, percent 3.0 Ag, ounces per ton 0.05 CaO, per cent 0.5 Au None K202, per cent 4.0 Fe, per cent 1.5 SiO2, per cent 70.0 A120,, per cent 13.0 The leaching of the ore direct was early dismissed from consideration for the following reasons: 1. The ore would have to be quite finely crushed to liberate the mineral for leaching; concentrating after crushing would cost but a few cents a ton; and a higher total recovery would result from leaching tailings rather than ore. 2. Rough concentration would yield a suitable material for roasting to make sulphur dioxide or sulphuric acid in connection with the leaching scheme. 3. Such a program put the question of cost vs. recovery on a basis where flotation and discarding of tailings were directly comparable.

Jan 8, 1915

By Lawrence Addicks

Discussion of the paper of LAWRENCE ADDICKS, presented at the San Francisco meeting, September, 1915, and printed in Bulletin No. 104, August, 1915, pp. 1471 to 1484. L. D. RICKETTS, New York, N. Y.--In the Southwest we have stored up millions of tons of tailings in which the copper exists partly as sulphide and partly in an oxidized condition. Mr. Addicks' first paper suggests a, likely process for the treatment of such material. His second paper 1 deals with the recovery of copper from clear solutions of notable strength, and such solutions may come from the sulphating roast or direct from the leaching of completely oxidized copper ores of which vast deposits are known to exist. What strikes me particularly about the latter paper is the keen perception shown and the clear manner in which the writer has attacked the fundamental principles of the process. He calls your attention to the fact that ferrous sulphate is necessary in the electrolyte and is an ideal depolarizer; that sulphurous acid must be, used to reduce the ferric sulphate produced and thus prevent re-solution of copper at the cathode; that mechanical agitation in the cell, in order to bring the ferrous sulphate in contact with the anode and the copper in contact with the cathode, is essential to efficient work; that lead anodes are

Jan 12, 1915

Discussion of the paper of Frederick Laist, presented at the Butte meeting, August, 1913, and printed in Bulletin No. 79, July, 1913, pp. 1147 to 1162. J. C. DICK, Salt Lake City, Utah :-I would like to ask Mr. Laist why a 10 per cent. salt solution was used. MR. LAIST :-The reason for using salt in the solution is to get .the sulphur. The solution of dilute sulphuric acid has no solvent action on the sulphur even after roasting, and the addition of the salt is made primarily to dissolve the sulphur chlorides. MR. DICK:-I would like to ask also if you made any experiments as to grinding fine your calcines, rather than leaving the coarse material. MR. LAIST :-We have not made any experiments along those lines except in the laboratory, but the objections which we have to grinding are that the difficulties of roasting are very much greater when roasting finely ground material than when roasting coarse material, and the difficulties of leaching are somewhat increased; the percolating system is simpler and easier to manipulate, particularly when acid solutions are used, so that we prefer from our experience not to grind. STUART CROASDALE,* Denver, Colo. (communication to -the Secretary +) :-In order to meet the conditions involved in his ore-treatment problem, Mr. Laist has developed a very interesting and apparently successful metallurgical hybrid which he calls the oxychloridizing roast. The lower floors of the MacDougall furnaces are made to accomplish what used to be done on the " cooling floor" in the old days of salt roasting and " hypo " or brine leaching of silver ores.

Jan 11, 1913

By Frederick Laist

(Butte Meeting, August, 1913.) WHILE remodeling No. 1 section of the concentrator at the Washoe Reduction Works of the Anaconda Copper Mining Co. during the summer of 1912, for the purpose of ascertaining what additional metal recoveries could be made by improvements in concentration practice which had been developed by the staff of the Boston & Montana Reduction Department, at Great Falls, it was deemed advisable to carry on some experiments on the treatment of the regular mill tailings by roasting and leaching, to see whether the losses of metal values might not be still further decreased. In the course of these experiments about 5,000 tons of tailings were roasted, and of the resulting calcine about 200 tons were leached. The results were so satisfactory that it was decided to continue the work on a larger scale, particularly as regards the leaching end of the process, and construction work on an 80-ton roasting and leaching plant was accordingly commenced during the latter part of February, 1913, and is being pushed as rapidly as possible. 80-Ton Leaching Plant. This plant will consist of one 20-ft. roasting furnace of the MacDougall type, specially adapted to the work of roasting for leaching; two leaching tanks, .32 ft. in diameter by 12 ft, deep, together with the necessary solution tanks, air lifts, precipitating launders, etc. It has been decided to precipitate the copper from solution on scrap iron, so as not to hamper the roasting and leaching departments by any weakness that might develop in the precipitating department. It is, however, the intention to experiment with a number of different methods of precipitation ; for example, by electrolysis and by hydrogen sulphide.

Jan 7, 1913

By H. I. NORTON, H. O. Hofman

ZINC smelters in the central western. States have established a very high standard of purity for blende-concentrates, viz., zinc 60, iron less than 3, and lead less than 1 per cent. The very low percentage of iron is made possible by the blende containing less than 0.5 percent of isomorphous iron sulphide and by the sparing occurrence of pyritic material in the large blende-deposits of southwestern Missouri and southeastern Kansas. The blende in these districts occurs in sub-Carboniferous limestone, and is associated with chert, residual clay, calcite, pyrite or rnarcasite and bitumen. The different minerals are coarse and therefore readily separated by mechanical washing from the blende, with the exception of pyrite and marcasite, as blende has a specific gravity of from 3.9 to 4.1, marcasite, from 4.85 to 4.90, and pyrite, from 4.95 to 5.10. The common procedure of dressing the ores is to crush in a breaker, size in a trommel with 0.5-in. holes, pass the over-size through roughing-rolls and then jig the ore, now reduced to 0.5 in. maximum size, in roughing multiple-sieve jigs. The products of these are waste-tailings, sine-discharge coarse concentrates, side-discharge coarse middlings and bottom-discharge fine middlings. The coarse concentrates are sent to the market. The coarse middlings are crushed in middlings-rolls and brought back into the system by feeding into the main trommel. The fine middlings are cleaned upon finishing-jigs. Any pyrite or marcasite present follows the blende and increases the percent-

Mar 1, 1905

By J B. McConnell

The Thompson smelter has three unique features which form the basis ~f its design: fluid bed roasters which treat nickel concentrate filter cake from the mill, as well as the flux, in order to achieve partial desulphurization; the use of electric furnaces for the smelting of the partially desulphurized, preheated roaster product; and the disposal of slag by water granulation and slag slurry pumping. The installation consists of three fluid bed roasters, each feeding an electric furnace. Nickel concentrate is received at the smelter via pipe line. It is thickened and filtered, and the filter cake, together with siliceous flux, is fed through rotary bin feeders and reciprocating double-gate seals into the fluid bed roasters. Air injected into the roasters through club-head tuyeres oxidizes part of the sulphur and associated iron in the concentrate. The heat of reaction dries and heats the charge. Roaster product is recovered from the gas stream in cyclones and from the roaster bed through automatic valves.

Jan 1, 1963

This paper is intended to continue the subject in the light of recent work, from where it was left at the conclusion of the discussion on the excellent paper by the late Mr. Noel Haszard. The position then obtaining is briefly summarised below:-The points which received general agreement at that time were:-'(1) That the gold occurs, probably in an elemental form, in a state of very fine division in the pyrite.(2) That the aim in roasting of Kalgoorlie flotation concentrates should be to obtain the maximum porosity possible. The gold tellurides were amenable to treatment with either a' solution of high lime and cyanide strength combined with fine grinding, or bybromocyanidation without re-grinding.(3) That a low roasting temperature is essential during the elimination of the first atom of sulphur, if the final calcine is to give a good extraction by cyanidation.(4) Even with the best temperature conditions of roasting then determined, and after a period of cyanidation of the calcines until no further extraction was obtainable, the lowest calcine residues obtainable were equivalent to approximately 1·8 dwts. per long ton, based on an original concentrate of pure pyrite.There was some division of opinion at the time as to whether the temperature of the later stages of roasting was significant, and also as to the reason why the initial roasting temperatures had so marked an effect.

Jan 1, 1939

R. C. BUCKETT (Lake View and Star Limited) : At the outset I should like to add my congratulations to those already extended to Mr..Norwood on his excellent paper, which has given us all an inspiration to strive further to improve our plant recoveries. In some respects this paper has left us so little to discuss without considerable time spent on. further research work. At all points one is met by a baffling array of facts which leave one feeling hesitant to speak.The careful and methodical way in which Mr. Norwood went along step by step until all channels of research presenting themselves were tested to his own satisfaction leaves me with but a few comments to make. Particularly striking to me is the explanation of the residual gold values in calcines by recrystallization of haematite and here is a line to be attacked by future studies. This will be mentioned again later.Particularizing on the paper, the first point that struck me was the method of change of pyrite through to the final haematite. I have never been able to satisfy myself that a sample taken from various positions along a roaster when cooled, as described on p. 397, represented a fair sample of the conditions at that point, but I must confess that I have not found a substitute that did satisfy me.However, the following figures are illuminating... But to fill dry a receptacle of known volume with calcines, as described by Mr. Norwood, gives the following apparentspecific gravities:

Jan 1, 1940

By F. R. Archibald

Introduction It is the purpose of this paper to review the subject of roasting as preparation of refractory gold ores and concentrates for cyanidation, with particular reference to operations at the mill of Beattie Gold Mines (Que.), Ltd., Duparquet, Quebec. Two earlier papers relating to the Beattie roasting operations are cited as background to the ? present discussion, and more general reference is made to other publications relating? to geology and metallurgy at Beattie. The Beattie roasting plant was built in 1937 as an addition to the existing flotation and cyanidation plant to permit complete processing of the ore at the mine property. Previously, the flotation concentrate had been cyanided, yielding 70 per cent of the gold values, followed by re-flotation of a concentrate from the cyanide residue. This re-floated residue was shipped to a smelter for recovery of gold values unavailable from direct cyanidation. The roasting plant itself is of interest through application in its design of multiple-hearth roasters and a Cottrell plant for separate recovery of dust and arsenic. In the laboratory and plant studies that accompanied development of the plant into a dependable and efficient working unit have been found principles and ideas applicable to other roasting 'problems. Before enlarging on these aspects relating particularly to the Beattie problems and plant, brief consideration is given to roasting in general.

Jan 1, 1949

By F. R. Archibald

MR. A. F. B. Norwood: Having been associated in the past few years with nine different plants roasting aurif erous concentrates in Australia, two of which were new installations for which design and construction were undertaken by the writer, I read Mr. Archibald's paper with very great interest, and I deem it a great privilege, as a member of a sister Institution, to be invited to contribute to the discussion on the paper. I wish to congratulate the author on a very informative and interesting paper, and, although situated many thousands of miles away, I feel I have gathered from it a very close idea of the operating conditions and of the work that has been carried on at the Beattie gold mine. Working along somewhat different lines, it is interesting to note that the conclusions drawn by the author run closely parallel to those accepted in Western Australia, viz., that the object of roasting is to obtain a porous calcine, and that this can best be achieved by roasting first at a temperature below 900 deg. F. to 1,000 deg. F., and then raising the temperature at the finish of the roast. Turning first to the laboratory work, the materials I have studied in Western Australia cover a range from those with little or no arsenic to concentrates carrying as high ?as 20 per cent, i.e., even higher than in the analysis quoted for the eoncentrates from Nepheline Products, Limited. In the ease of arsenic-free pyrite concentrates, the roast is ideally carried out at a temperature ranging from 900 deg. F. to 1,000 ferric oxide is one cause of the refractory gold remaining In deg. F. No improvement in extraction is obtained when the calcines are cyanided by raising the final temperature above this point; nevertheless, in technical practice it is desirable to finish the roast at 1,200 deg. F. in order to decompose basic ferric sulphate and thereby reduce the consumption of chemicals in the subsequent cyanidation step. However, if at any stage of the roast the temperature is raised above 1,200 deg. F., the extraction by cyanidation falls, and continues to do so the higher the maximum temperature that is reached. Line A in the accompanying graph typifies this effect.

Jan 1, 1949

By J. S. McAlpine, J. Matousek, W. Muir, P. Downey, K. Major

The Golden Bear refractory gold ore roasting operation is located at Huddy Lake, in northwestern British Columbia, about BO km northwest of Telegraph Creek (see Figure 1). The mine access road, used for supplies delivery, was developed by Golden Bear and consists of a radio controlled 155 km gravel road originating at Highway 114. Hine operations are based on a two week in, two week out rotating shift schedule with personnel transport by chartered aircraft from Vancouver, Whitehorse or the 3 Talthan conmunities. The site runway Is located adjacent to the tailings impoundment.

Jan 1, 1992

By R. G. Reddy

Chemical and structural changes occurring during the roasting of refractory gold ores were investigated. Effect of temperature on oxidation behavior of ores was analyzed using TGA, DTA and X-ray diffraction methods. The experimental results showed that the carbon in the ore has to be oxidized to a minimum value before any appreciable oxidation of sulfur occurs. Oxidation rates as a function of temperature were calculated. Optimum conditions under which a successful roasting of the refractory gold ores can be obtained are discussed.

Jan 1, 1990

By A. L. Blomfield

THE Golden Cycle Mining and Reduction Co. operates its custom mill at Colorado Springs on Cripple Creek ores exclusively. These ores are straight sulpho-tellurides, with practically no base metals such as Pb, Cu, Zn, As, or Sb. Upon entering the mill, the ore all passes through the sampler to storage bins, where beds of 5000 tons each are made to insure uniformity in roasting. CLASSIFICATION OF ORES For efficiency, it has been found advisable to separate the ores into two classes according to their line content. Other constituents have their effect, such as alumina and magnesia, but, speaking generally, these are roughly proportional to the line, which, as CaO, is used as the indicator. Class A contains not more than 2 per cent. CaO and comprises about 66 per cent. of the ore treated. Class B contains over 2 per cent. CaO, and comprises 34 per cent. of the ore treated. Typical analyses of both classes are as follows: Class A Class B Insol 56.70 75.90 Al203 2.30 3.40 Fe 3.26 3.48 CaO 1.57 5.12 S 1.79 1.80 Mg0 0.21 1.08 Ignition loss 3.20 6.50 99.03 97.28 The beds of each class of ore are made as large as possible with the available ore as it comes in, to avoid changing from one bed to the other any oftener than necessary. Each roaster will handle 50 percent. more of class A ore than of class B, with practically the same results. This necessitates changing the rate of feed for each new bed and tends toward a poor roast and loss of tonnage at each change.

Jan 8, 1918

J. M. TIPPETT? Colorado Springs, Co1o.-There are several points which offer ground for discussion, although the authors' indicated results leave small chance for argument. Under classification of the ores as they come to the mill, it will be noted that these are classified according to their lime contents. In previous years the classification was based upon sulfur contents, CaO not being considered; class A would be called the oxidized ore and class B the sulfides. Classification according to CaO is the first public indication that a decided change in the ore has necessitated improved methods of treatment. The very serious effect that CaO, even in small quantities, has upon extraction has been noted for some years.

Jan 11, 1918

By Floyd JM, Bultitude-Paul J

The development of a process for the extraction of antimony from materials produced by Greenbushes Tin Limited has been carried out based on theoretical and laboratory studies. The materials treated have included concentrates of tantalite and cassiterite containing antimony at levels ranging from 0.3% to 2%. Roasting under controlled atmospheres is required to stabilise Sb203 rather than the low vapour pressure metal or higher oxide. Sulphidising additives such as pyrite, pyrrhotite or sulphur give enhanced antimony removal from tantalite and cassiterite at roasting temperatures of 900¦ to 1100¦C. Substantial elimination of antimony to levels of 0.1% or less was Achieved.

Jan 1, 1986

By Floyd JM, Richardson P

The extension of theoretical and laboratory studies of the roasting of tantalite and cassiterite concentrates from Greenbushes Tin Limited to pilot and semi- commercial plant developments is detailed. A rotary pilot furnace was used to prove the feasibility of the process and a semi- commercial plant was constructed at Greenbushes to produce large quantities of roasted calcine. The additions and conditions of the laboratory study were employed to achieve marketable grades of calcine from the two materials. As well as producing calcines with less than 0.1% Sb, most of the tin in tantalite was recoverable to a separate fume product. Tin fumed during cassiterite roasting on a semi-commerical scale amounted to less than 1% of the tin in feed.

Jan 1, 1986