Oxygen-based solutions for gold extraction

Gold extraction involves multiple steps. First, gold-bearing ore is extracted from the ground through mining. This ore is then crushed into smaller gravel-sized pieces and further ground into a fine powder-like slurry.

Water is added to the slurry to form a paste-like mixture that can undergo leaching – the process of separating gold from rock using a chemical solution of cyanide and oxygen. Oxygen helps convert sulfites into sulfates and ensures even dispersion through bubbling, where the gas is bubbled through leach tanks and flotation cells.

Using high-purity oxygen speeds up gold leaching rates compared to other methods. It also minimizes worker exposure to harmful cyanide by enabling a more efficient process.

Given the remote locations of gold mines, on-site oxygen plants are essential to reliably source the large quantities of oxygen required.