Mining & Metallurgy

Adsorption Across the Mining Process Chain

The mining and metallurgy sector runs three distinct adsorption duties that SorbiTech serves end to end as engineered media and systems. Gold recovery from cyanide leach solution is the highest value duty, served by high activity coconut shell granular activated carbon in carbon in pulp (CIP) or carbon in leach (CIL) tanks. Process water polishing in the mineral processing circuit handles the dissolved organic load from reagents and the residual hydrocarbons from equipment leakage. Acid mine drainage treatment removes heavy metals from legacy site water for surface discharge or for reinjection.

Carbon in Pulp and Carbon in Leach Gold Recovery

The CIP and CIL processes adsorb dissolved gold cyanide complex onto coconut shell granular activated carbon, then strip the loaded carbon in a hot caustic cyanide elution to recover the gold for electrowinning. The carbon activity (iodine number above 1050 mg/g), hardness (above 98 percent), and gold loading capacity (typically 6 to 12 g/kg loaded carbon) set the plant throughput and recovery economics. SorbiTech supplies the SorbiTech coconut shell GAC at the contracted specification, with the reactivation programme that returns the spent carbon to 90 to 95 percent of virgin activity.

Process Water and Reagent Recovery

The mineral processing circuit generates contaminated water from flotation reagents, frother chemicals, and equipment lubricants. SorbiTech delivers SorbiTech polishing skids charged with SorbiTech GAC 1240 for dissolved organic carbon polishing, plus CPI oil water separators for the hydrocarbon load. The treated water meets the site reuse limit for tailings make up or for surface discharge under the regional consent.

Acid Mine Drainage and Legacy Site Remediation

Closed and active mine sites generate acid mine drainage from sulphide mineral oxidation, carrying dissolved iron, manganese, copper, zinc, and trace heavy metals at low pH. A SorbiTech treatment train combines neutralisation with hydrated lime, oxidation and precipitation of the metal hydroxides, clarification, and adsorption polishing with activated carbon for the residual organic load. The treated water meets the receiving water discharge limit under the regional regulatory regime.

Sour Service and Remote Site Logistics

Mining operations are typically remote, desert in the Middle East, jungle in Indonesia, mountain plateau in South America, Arctic in Canada. SorbiTech logistics handles the remote delivery to site (containerised shipping, road transport across rough terrain, scheduled air freight for emergency supply) with documented chain of custody for the regulated reagents. The SorbiTech service team mobilises field support for the changeout campaigns aligned to the operator turnaround calendar.

Sustainability and Tailings Water Reuse

Mining operators face increasing regulatory and stakeholder pressure on water consumption, tailings management, and site rehabilitation. SorbiTech contributes by maximising tailings water reuse (which reduces fresh water consumption), by extending the campaign life of the loaded carbon (which reduces reactivation transport emissions), and by polishing acid mine drainage to discharge limits (which supports site closure permits). The cumulative effect across a mid scale gold operation is significant water and energy savings reported under the operator ESG disclosure.