THE SEPARATION STUDY OF POBOYA ORE GOLD (CENTRAL SULAWESI) WITH FLOTATION AND SINK TEHNIQUES WITH TETRABROMOETHANE AS A MEDIA

• Main Author: ISRAWATY ( NIM : 20510054); Pembimbing : Dr. Aminudin Sulaeman, MS, ILA
• Format: Theses
• Language: Indonesia
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/16005
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

Separation of gold from ore gold until now is done by using hazardous chemicals. The hazardous chemicals commonly used in the separation gold are mercury(amalgamation process) and cyanide (cyanidation process). The presence of mercury <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> and cyanide in nature will be very dangerous for life and environmental equilibrium of ecosystem. The separation techniques whose more environmentally friendly and also more economical was really necessary to replace the conventional technique that tends nor. One technique that is able to considered these problems is by using flotation and sink techniques as TBE (tetrabromoethane) as a media. TBE more friendly to the environment compared to the mercury and cyanide. TBE has several advantages compared to other heavy liquids. TBE has a density 2.97 g/mL. TBE also <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> has a low vapor pressure (0.02 mmHg at 25oC) than bromoform (5.9 mmHg at 25oC) so that in process safer. Beside that, using TBE is also more economical. TBE can be recovered by dissolving it with acetone so that it can be reused in subsequent separation process. <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> Mechanical flotation and sink a separation technique based on the difference in gold physical properties of rocks that contain differences in specific gravity of the ore rock. Rock samples used in this study obtained from the Poboya (Central Sulawesi). <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> In this study made several variations of using a filter size stratified rocks. Variation of particle size on the size of the rock made 231 (mu)m, 177 (mu)m, 88 (mu)m and 53 (mu)m. In a variety of rock samples using TBE flotation. Samples are use as much as 20 grams and 15 mL TBE. In the process of separating gold and silica minerals, will form two phases, sinking phase and floating phase. Pure rock samples, sinking phase and floating phase with the weight 1 gram each samples, destructed with aqua regia (a mixture of HCl 38 % and HNO3 70% with a ratio of 3:1) of 20 mL. Analysis of gold content in each sample made using Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (AAS) GBC Avanta. Separation of gold and silica minerals is done by using two ways. This is <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> done to prove whether there is influence of the old gold recovery agitation or not. From the results of research conducted found that the long agitation had no effect on <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> the results of the gold separation process. Of the overall testing process, it was found that the best conditions for the separation of gold is on the variation of particle size <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> 177 (mu)m. Concentration of gold concentrations obtained by 34 times with a value of 2.84% percent yield and percent loss of 27,58%. The high percent loss results obtained from this study can be verified by testing on filter paper are used to accommodate the sink phase. In the advanced study was also conducted on samples from the submerged rocks and phase separation process. Particle size effect on the <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> percent recovery of TBE. 231 (mu)m has the greatest percent recovery is 76.67 %. The follow-up analysis of rock samples using a PW 1710 Based Diffractometer (XRD). <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> The analysis is known that the greatest content of rock samples are SiO2 and CaCO3. Further analysis carried out on samples of rocks and floating phase. The follow-up analysis was conducted to determine how effective the process of separating the gold by flotation and sink techniques with TBE. Further Analysis using Sequential X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) Thermo ARL ADVANT XP Spectrometer. The analysis is <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> known that the greatest content in the rock that is SiO2. The content of gold in rock samples is equal to 0.036%. In addition to Au, the rocks are also Ag2O (0.0214%), Fe2O3 (0.6034%), CaO (19.4340 %), MgO (0.1917%), Cr2O3 (0.0274%), MnO (0.1316%) and other trace elements . The results of the analysis phase of the sink is no longer being the discovery of gold. This proves that there is a separation of gold <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> with either the TBE. The content of other elements also decreased the concentration of the floating phase is Ag2O (0.0156%), Fe2O3 (1.4522%), CaO (15.5983 %), MgO (0.2262%), Cr2O3 (0.0141%), MnO (0.1087 %) and other trace elements.