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Gold Recovery (CIP / CIL)
Process Purification & Recovery

Gold Recovery (CIP / CIL)

Carbon in pulp (CIP) and carbon in leach (CIL) gold recovery using high activity coconut shell granular activated carbon to adsorb dissolved gold cyanide from cyanide leach slurry.

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The Challenge
Modern gold mining operations recover gold from low grade ore (1 to 10 g/t) using cyanide leaching followed by activated carbon adsorption. The carbon performance, hardness, activity, gold loading capacity, drives the plant throughput and the recovery economics.
Quick Answer

CIP and CIL gold recovery adsorb dissolved gold cyanide complex onto high activity coconut shell granular activated carbon from the cyanide leach slurry. The loaded carbon is stripped in a hot caustic cyanide elution to recover the gold for electrowinning, then reactivated for return to service.

Gold Recovery (CIP / CIL)

The Gold Cyanide Adsorption Process

Gold cyanide leaching dissolves the gold from crushed ore in a sodium cyanide solution to form the gold cyanide complex (Au(CN)₂⁻). In the carbon in pulp (CIP) process, the dissolved gold cyanide is then adsorbed onto granular activated carbon in a train of tanks downstream of the leach tanks. In the carbon in leach (CIL) variant, the activated carbon is added directly to the leach tanks so that adsorption and leaching happen simultaneously, which prevents preg-robbing by carbonaceous material in the ore.

Coconut Shell GAC Is the Industry Standard

Coconut shell granular activated carbon is the industry reference for gold recovery. Its hardness (above 98 percent on the standard ball pan abrasion test) resists the inter tank carbon transfer abrasion that would destroy lower hardness carbon. Its iodine number (above 1050 mg/g) and tight micropore structure give gold loading capacity of 6 to 12 g per kg of loaded carbon. SorbiTech supplies the SorbiTech coconut shell GAC at the contracted specification with the gold loading capacity verified per lot.

Gold Recovery (CIP / CIL) process equipment

Elution, Electrowinning, and Reactivation

The loaded carbon is transferred to the elution column where hot caustic cyanide solution (90 to 110 °C, 1 percent NaOH plus 0.1 percent NaCN) strips the gold back into solution. The pregnant elution solution proceeds to electrowinning cells where the gold deposits onto steel wool cathodes. The stripped carbon is reactivated in a rotary or multiple hearth kiln at 650 to 750 °C in steam atmosphere and returned to service.

Delivery as Complete Plant or Media Supply

SorbiTech delivers gold recovery as a complete CIP/CIL gold carbon plant by SorbiTech for green field gold operations, as a process module integration into an existing concentrator by SorbiTech, or as a SorbiTech media supply contract for an existing plant. The reactivation programme runs at the SorbiTech partner facility. Sector coverage is mining and metallurgy.

Selection Guidance

Coconut shell GAC at 6 by 12 or 8 by 16 mesh, with iodine number above 1050 mg/g, hardness above 98 percent, gold loading capacity 6 to 12 g/kg loaded. SorbiTech reactivation programme returns spent carbon to 90 to 95 percent virgin activity.

How SorbiTech Solves It

A Specified, Verified Solution

Define the duty

We capture your process conditions: flow, composition, pressure, temperature, and the target outlet specification.

Select media & configuration

Our engineers recommend the adsorbent grade and system type that meet the duty with margin.

Size & engineer

Bed sizing, vessel design, and cycle parameters are engineered to your case and documented for approval.

Commission & verify

We support loading, start up, and performance verification against the guarantee.

Recommended Products & Systems

Media

Adsorbents & Media

  1. 01 SorbiTech Impregnated Activated Carbon H2S Acid Gas Mercury Removal Adsorbent Impregnated Activated Carbon Sulfur, KI, or KOH impregnated activated carbon. Mercury below 10 ng per Nm3, H2S and mercaptan capture upstream of catalysts. 4 mm pellet or… Water Cap. Dry feed preferred, water displaces impregnant %
  2. 02 SorbiTech Orapure Activated Carbon Coconut Shell Gold Recovery Cip Cil Adsorbent OraPure Activated Carbon Coconut shell granular activated carbon for gold recovery. 6x12, 6x16, 8x16 mesh, iodine number above 1000 mg/g, optimised pore for high K value, thermal… Water Cap. Low moisture and ash at supply %
  3. 03 Powdered Activated Carbon Adsorbent Powdered Activated Carbon Fine powder carbon for slurry dosing in water treatment, sugar decolorization, pharmaceutical purification, and emergency contamination response. Form 200×325 mesh (45–75 µm)
  4. 04 Pellet Activated Carbon Adsorbent Pellet Activated Carbon Extruded pellet carbon for gas phase duties: solvent recovery, vapour recovery, odour control, and mercury guard beds. Form 3 mm or 4 mm extruded pellets
  5. 05 Activated Carbon GAC 1240 Adsorbent Activated Carbon GAC 1240 Coal based granular activated carbon for dechlorination, taste and odour, and dissolved organics in water. Form 12 × 40 US mesh (0.42–1.70 mm)
  6. 06 CMS 450hp Adsorbent Carbon Molecular Sieve CMS 450HP Ultra high purity carbon molecular sieve. 99.99999 percent (7N) N2, selective O2 and CO2 capture, 1.0 to 1.6 mm pellets, minimal fines, deoxo polishing… Water Cap. Feed must reach ISO 8573 class 1.4.1, deoxo polishing recommended for 7N %
Equipment

Engineered Systems

  1. 01 SorbiTech Cip Cil Gold Carbon Plant Carbon in Pulp Leach Gold Recovery Equipment CIP CIL Gold Carbon Plant Carbon in pulp (CIP) and carbon in leach (CIL) gold recovery plant using high activity coconut shell granular activated carbon to recover gold cyanide… Capacity 10–200 t/h ore throughput
  2. 02 SorbiTech Biogas Upgrading Unit Biomethane PSA Carbon Molecular Sieve Equipment Biogas Upgrading Unit PSA biogas upgrading unit using carbon molecular sieve to separate carbon dioxide from methane and deliver grid quality bio methane from anaerobic digester biogas… Capacity 50–2,000 Nm³/h raw biogas
  3. 03 SorbiTech Activated Carbon Water Contactor Drinking Water GAC Polishing Contactor Equipment Activated Carbon Water Contactor Granular activated carbon fixed bed water contactor for dechlorination, taste and odour, dissolved organic carbon, and emerging contaminant polishing in drinking water and process… Capacity 5–2,000 m³/h
  4. 04 SorbiTech Vapour Recovery Unit Activated Carbon VRU Solvent Recovery Equipment Vapour Recovery Unit (VRU) Activated carbon vapour recovery unit for tank farms, loading racks, and process vents to capture and recover hydrocarbons before stack release. Capacity 50–10,000 Nm³/h vent gas
Industries

Industries Using This Application

  1. 01 SorbiTech Mining Metallurgy Copper Concentrator SAG Mill Flotation Sector Mining & Metallurgy Carbon in pulp (CIP) and carbon in leach (CIL) gold recovery, process water polishing, and acid mine drainage treatment for the mining and metallurgical…

Specify a Solution for This Application

Provide your process conditions and our team will recommend the grade, configuration, and sizing.

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