Overview
In carbon-in-pulp (CIP) and carbon-in-leach (CIL) circuits, gold is dissolved from crushed ore and captured on activated carbon. The same carbon is pumped, agitated, stripped, and reactivated many times, so it must be exceptionally tough as well as adsorptive.
How it works
- Crushed ore is mixed with a leaching solution that dissolves the gold.
- Carbon granules are mixed through the slurry and adsorb the dissolved gold.
- The loaded carbon is screened out and the gold is stripped from it.
- The carbon is reactivated and returned to the circuit.
Why coconut shell
Coconut-shell carbon is widely favored here for its hardness and attrition resistance, which limit carbon losses and the gold carried away in fines.
This page describes activated carbon in general. Suitability for a specific use depends on the activated carbon grade and the system it is used in.