Mineral Liberation Analysis of Complex Gold Ores and Implications on Treatment Options: The case for Kapanda, Ibindi, Mawemeru and Itumbi Mineralisation in Tanzania

Abstract

This study presents a mineral liberation analysis of complex gold ores and implications on treatment options at Kapanda, Ibindi, Mawemeru, and Itumbi mineralisation locations in Tanzania. The analysis was carried out using the ThermoFisher Scientific Mineral Liberation Analyser 650 instrument. Results revealed that Ibindi material exhibited higher assays of Cu (6.46%), Fe (28.50%), Pb (3.75%), and Zn (0.34%) compared to materials from other locations. Moreover, at grind size of 75-106 μm (conventional milling process), 97% of pyrite-marcasite, 90% of siderite, 70%-75% of chalcopyrite, 50%-65% of sphalerite and ≤ 10% of galena could be liberated. This implies that galena cannot be effectively recovered through conventional milling-flotation processes. Based on the analysis results, it is recommended that Kapanda and Ibindi materials undergo copper flotation followed by gold cyanidation, whereas Mawemeru and Itumbi materials have potential for gold cyanidation using lixiviant mixtures such as cyanide-glycine due to low concentration of cyanide-consuming minerals.