Green treatment of cyanide tailings using a “filter press backwash-chemical precipitation-gaseous membrane absorption” method

Abstract

Based on a “filter press backwash-chemical precipitation-gaseous membrane absorption” process, treatment of harmless cyanide tailings was conducted using cyanide tailings from a gold smelting enterprises (Yunnan Province, China) as the research object. The effects of air-drying time, backwash water parameters, initial pH of acidification, NaHS dosage, cyanide-containing water flow rate, and gaseous membrane stages on the process were investigated. Chemical composition, X-ray diffraction, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analyses of the copper products were carried out. Results showed that the copper content in the copper product was 54.56%, and the chemical composition was mainly CuSCN, CuS, Cu2S, and CaSO4. Five cycles of experiments were carried out under optimal conditions; the results showed that the process can make the treated cyanide tailings meet the requirements of the technical specification for pollution control of cyanide leaching residue in the gold industry (TSPC) standard for storage in a tailings pond and a have certain stability. The average recovery rate of copper and total cyanide in elution water was 97.8% and 99.89%, respectively, and the average removal rate of thiocyanate was 94.09%.