Guinea 5,000 t/d Gold Processing Plant Project

Project Information

Haoyang's Solution

1. Mineral Processing Testwork & Process Development

Before determining the final plant configuration, the project requirements and ore processing characteristics were evaluated to develop a suitable gold recovery flowsheet.

The process design focused on recovering gold through a combination of gravity separation and cyanide leaching.

Gravity recovery was introduced before cyanidation to recover suitable coarse and high-density gold particles as early as possible, while the remaining gold-bearing material continued to the leaching circuit for further recovery.

This combined approach allows different forms and particle sizes of recoverable gold to be treated through appropriate processing stages.

2. Engineering Design & Plant Layout

Haoyang provided engineering services for the concentrator, including detailed construction drawings, production workshop design, equipment arrangement, and coordination between the main processing sections.

For a 5,000 t/d processing plant, equipment selection alone is not sufficient. The relationship between each process stage must also be carefully considered.

The engineering design therefore focused on:

Equipment Layout • Material Flow • Slurry Transportation • Workshop Arrangement • Equipment Access • Maintenance Space • Process Continuity • Operational Safety

The objective was to establish a practical plant layout that supports continuous production while simplifying operation and equipment maintenance.

3. Gold Processing Flowsheet

The core beneficiation process developed for the project is:

Ore Slurry Preparation → Grinding → Classification → Gravity Separation → Cyanide Leaching → Gold Adsorption → Desorption & Electrowinning → Gold Recovery

Each stage performs a specific function within the overall gold recovery circuit.

Process Logic

Grinding liberates gold-bearing minerals from the ore.

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Classification controls the particle size entering subsequent beneficiation stages.

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Gravity Separation recovers suitable coarse and high-density gold particles at an early stage.

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Cyanide Leaching extracts additional gold remaining in the finely ground material.

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Desorption & Electrowinning recovers gold from the loaded carbon and produces a gold-rich product for subsequent treatment.

This combination provides a comprehensive approach to gold recovery while maintaining a continuous industrial processing route.

4. Two-Stage Closed-Circuit Grinding

The grinding section adopts a two-stage closed-circuit grinding and classification system.

The objective is to progressively reduce the ore particle size and achieve the required liberation while avoiding unnecessary overgrinding.

In each closed grinding circuit, material that has not reached the required particle size is returned for further grinding, while qualified material proceeds to the next processing stage.

Compared with a simple open grinding circuit, closed-circuit operation provides better control over the final particle-size distribution and helps stabilize downstream beneficiation conditions.

5. Hydrocyclone Classification System

The classification section uses slurry pumps and hydrocyclones rather than relying solely on conventional mechanical spiral classifiers.

Slurry pumps deliver the ground material to the hydrocyclone system, where particles are separated according to their size and settling characteristics.

Typically:

Hydrocyclone Underflow → Returned to Grinding

Hydrocyclone Overflow → Sent to Subsequent Processing

This configuration provides a compact classification system suitable for continuous industrial operation and helps maintain stable grinding circuit performance.

The hydrocyclone system also offers advantages such as:

Compact Footprint • High Classification Capacity • Simple Structure • Flexible Process Control • Convenient Integration with Grinding Circuits

6. Early Recovery of Coarse Gold

One of the key features of the project is the integration of gravity separation into the grinding and classification circuit.

Instead of allowing all gold-bearing material to pass directly into the cyanide leaching circuit, gravity-recoverable gold is recovered at an earlier stage.

This strategy is particularly useful when the ore contains liberated coarse or high-density gold particles.

Early recovery can help:

Reduce Coarse Gold Losses • Recover Valuable Gold Earlier • Reduce Circulating Gold in the Grinding Circuit • Complement Downstream Cyanide Recovery

7. Jig Gravity Separation

The gravity separation section uses jig machines to recover high-density gold-bearing particles.

Jigging separates particles primarily according to differences in specific gravity under a pulsating water flow.

During operation, the mineral bed repeatedly expands and settles. Higher-density particles tend to migrate downward, while lighter gangue particles remain in the upper layers.

The resulting gravity concentrate contains enriched heavy mineral particles and recoverable gold, while the remaining material continues through the main processing circuit.

The jigging stage therefore acts as an important pre-recovery step before cyanidation.

8. Cyanide Leaching & Gold Recovery

After grinding, classification, and gravity recovery, the remaining gold-bearing material enters the cyanide leaching circuit.

Under controlled process conditions, gold is dissolved into the leaching solution and subsequently recovered through the adsorption system.

Loaded carbon containing the recovered gold is then transferred to the desorption and electrowinning system.

A simplified downstream route is:

Cyanide Leaching → Activated Carbon Adsorption → Loaded Carbon → Desorption → Electrowinning → Gold-Rich Product

This stage complements gravity separation by recovering gold that cannot be efficiently recovered as coarse gravity concentrate.

9. Main Equipment Configuration

The complete processing system can include equipment such as:

Grinding Equipment

Ball Mills

Classification Equipment

Slurry Pumps • Hydrocyclones

Gravity Separation Equipment

Jig Machines

Leaching Equipment

Agitation / Leaching Tanks

Gold Recovery Equipment

Carbon Adsorption System • Desorption & Electrowinning System

Auxiliary Equipment

Slurry Pumps • Conveying Equipment • Agitation Equipment • Process Tanks • Piping Systems

The final equipment configuration is determined according to the detailed engineering design and actual project requirements.

10.Project Highlights

5,000 t/d Processing Capacity

The plant is designed for large-scale continuous gold processing with a nominal capacity of 5,000 tonnes per day.

Combined Gold Recovery Process

The integration of gravity separation and cyanide leaching enables the processing plant to recover gold through complementary physical and hydrometallurgical methods.

Two-Stage Closed-Circuit Grinding

The staged grinding configuration provides better particle-size control and prepares suitable material for downstream gold recovery.

Hydrocyclone Classification

Hydrocyclones provide efficient classification within a compact footprint and integrate effectively with the closed-circuit grinding system.

Early Gravity Gold Recovery

Jig machines recover suitable coarse and high-density gold particles before cyanidation, reducing the risk of valuable coarse gold circulating through or being lost in downstream stages.

Integrated Engineering Solution

The project combines process design, equipment configuration, workshop layout, installation, and commissioning into an integrated mineral processing solution.

Haoyang Project Services

For the Guinea 5,000 t/d Gold Processing Plant Project, Haoyang's service scope covered multiple stages of project implementation:

Mineral Processing Testwork

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Process Flowsheet Development

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Plant Engineering & Detailed Design

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Equipment Selection

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Equipment Manufacturing & Procurement

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Plant Construction Support

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Equipment Installation

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Commissioning & Start-Up Support

By coordinating engineering, equipment, and commissioning requirements within one project framework, Haoyang helps reduce interface problems between different stages of plant development.

Project Summary

The Guinea 5,000 t/d Gold Processing Plant Project demonstrates Haoyang's capability to provide integrated solutions for large-scale gold beneficiation projects.

Through a process combining two-stage closed-circuit grinding, hydrocyclone classification, jig gravity recovery, cyanide leaching, and desorption-electrowinning, the plant is configured to recover different forms of gold while maintaining stable and continuous processing.

From process development and engineering design to equipment manufacturing, installation, and commissioning, Haoyang provides customers with a complete solution tailored to the characteristics and production requirements of each mineral processing project.

Planning a gold processing project? Contact Haoyang for ore testwork, process design, equipment selection, plant configuration, and project quotation.