Análisis de procesamiento y tratamiento de oro y plata en procesos de Lixiviación en el material de La Mina “La Zamorana” ubicada en el cantón Paquisha, provincia de Zamora Chinchipe

Abstract

The ore from "La Zamorana" mine has not received adequate metallurgical treatment to maximize the utilization of the gold and silver ore. Due to this uncertainty, the mineral extraction rates of the mine are not exactly known. This study aimed to analyze the gold and silver processing of "La Zamorana" mine. The methodology applied was based on a quantitative and experimental analysis of the information, starting with the mineralogical characterization of the material, followed by the plant survey of the metallurgical process up to the present time and then the execution of laboratory scale tests and an evaluation of the metallurgical recovery by modifying certain operational parameters. The results showed that there is no specific process for the processing of the mine material that responds to its needs. The current metallurgical treatment is generally applied to all materials arriving at the processing plant. The mineralogical characterization revealed that gold is mainly found in particles smaller than 30 microns and to a lesser extent up to 60 microns. Silver is found in the form of alloy or electrum, with no specific sizes. Laboratory scale leaching showed that adjusting granulometry to particle sizes below 75 microns improved the silver recovery rate by 15%, but there was no significant benefit for gold. In conclusion, the study provided insight into the current metallurgical process and suggests adjusting granulometry to improve silver leaching; that means it requires further study to determine why gold does not show similar improvements.