Magnetic separation for phase characterization associated with gold in zaylik ore

Mineralogical studies on the Zaylik gold ore of Eastern Azerbaijan showed that silica and iron were major phases in ore. To identify the phase accompany gold, SEM studies, analytical Map and magnetic separation method were used. Experimental results showed that using two stages of magnetic separation, led to the elimination of more than 69% by weight of the original feed to tailing with grade lower than 0.9 ppm gold. Also a concentrate with approximately 31% by weight of the original sample with recovery of about 93% gold obtained. In other words, about 7% of gold lost in total tailing, but due to the removal of a significant portion of the silicate compound from ore, magnetic separation has an important role in reducing chemical consumption and operating costs for leaching processes.