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Determination of the adsorption capacity of gold-cyanide complex in activated carbon-glass composites

Abstract:

The activated carbons used in the adsorption of gold-cyanide complex have recovery efficiencies of the order of 90 %, losing high amounts of gold in the fine fractions of the coal, which are discarded in the cyanurated pulps. In this study the influence of glass impregnation in the structure of a high activating carbon, HAC, of palm kernel is evaluated, in order to improve its granular hardness, minimize attrition losses and optimize the adsorption capacity of gold-cyanide complex, in the structure of activated carbon - glass composites. Impregnation of melting charges was carried out with addition of borax in palm kernel HAC, followed by a heat treatment between 800-950 °C, for the fusion of the glassy masses. The granular hardness increased on the activated carbon-glass composites. The attrition test revealed that fine HAC losses are reduced with the addition of recycled glass bottles and enamel frits, confirming that there is a reinforcement of the activated carbon structure. Furthermore, this is an evidence that the mechanisms of reinforcement of the compound are appropriate to obtain activated carbons with higher recovery performance of precious metals.