Acid Leaching from ore

[Baruch603]

Hello

I have the opportunity to buy ore that contain Metal.
I have done an assay on the material and got the result.
Cu 5.32% ,Fe 14.28% ,Zn 0.165% ,Pb 22.09% ,Ag 35.88% ,Pt 13.03% ,Au 4.18%
I am looking for the best and fast way to recover the Ag ,Pt ,Au safety is important .
I have try to melt it with flux and got a very small bar and i think that I am loosing a lot of the metals .
I have also try to start and dissolve in nitric acid but it is very difficult to strain the liquid .
Today we will try and dissolve in sulfuric acid and see what will be the out come.
Please if any of you have any suggestion for a fast recovery we have very big quantity of this material.

Thanks

 

[nickvc]

It has been stated many times that acids are rarely the correct method to use on ores, the problem can be other elements some of which are highly toxic especially when mixed with acids.
It would help if you could give us a full element assay to determine what is in there and what could possibly stopping the dissolution of your metals, it may well be a further process may be needed to release the metals before trying acids.

 

[4metals]

By adding up the percentages of each metal from the assay you received, it is apparent that this is in fact not an ore but an alloy of metals. Were your results from an XRF or from a fire assay? What physical form is the material in? Powder or large chunks? A simple cupellation would give you a doré bead where all of the precious metals would be separated from the other metals. That would tell you for sure the precious metal content of the material.

 

[tesaygo]

It has been stated many times that acids are rarely the correct method to use on ores, the problem can be other elements some of which are highly toxic especially when mixed with acids.
It would help if you could give us a full element assay to determine what is in there and what could possibly stopping the dissolution of your metals, it may well be a further process may be needed to release the metals before trying acids.

Hello,
What do you mean about "it has been states many times that acids are rarely the correct method to use on ore".
One of my friend give me advise on my high gold-copper ore. He teach me that to leach first it using H2SO4 before cyaniding to recover gold.

 

[Topher_osAUrus]

That sounds like a recipe for death

 

[nickvc]

It has been stated many times that acids are rarely the correct method to use on ores, the problem can be other elements some of which are highly toxic especially when mixed with acids.
It would help if you could give us a full element assay to determine what is in there and what could possibly stopping the dissolution of your metals, it may well be a further process may be needed to release the metals before trying acids.

Hello,
What do you meant about "it has been states many times that acids are rarely the correct method to use on ore".
One of my friend give me advise on my high gold-copper ore. He teach me that to leach first it using H2SO4 before cyaniding to recover gold.

We have had many new members who think that a simple acid leach will yield good results from ores, the truth is it's rarely the case.
Ores by their nature are a complex mix of various elements in differing forms and some if not many will complicate a simple extraction process, some are highly toxic and even more so if mixed with acids.
The only way to know what you are dealing with is to have an assay done to determine what is in the mix, this allows you to then plan a way to recover the values if possible or economically viable, I am not trying to tell you it can not be done but I would be highly surprised if just a simple acid leach will yield much if any success and possibly expose you to dangerous and toxic fumes.