Electrometals Technologies Limited

A C N 000 751 093

28 Commercial Drive Ashmore Queensland Australia 4214

Telephone: 61 7 5526 4663
Facsimile: 61 7 5527 0299
Email Address: EMEW@electrometals.com.au

EMEW
REPLACEMENT OF SMELTING
IN
EXISTING MERRILL CROWE PLANTS

P.A.Treasure
February 2005

ABSTRACT
Electrometals Technologies Limited has committed significant investment over the past two years to the
evaluation of the EMEW technology as a replacement for the Merrill Crowe process, for direct recovery of
silver from cyanide solutions. These studies have shown that there are a number of compelling financial
and process benefits, including:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Lower capital cost

Lower operating cost
Process simplification
Lower technical risk
Higher overall silver recovery
Higher product purity

Complete replacement of Merrill Crowe, as a primary silver recovery process has been reviewed in a
separate paper (EMEW, Silver Recovery from Cyanide Solutions, P.A.Treasure, Nov 2004). This paper
concludes that EMEW should be regarded as Worlds Best Practice in this application, and should be
given serious consideration for the development of all new silver leach projects.
The studies undertaken by Electrometals have also proven that there is a compelling case for immediate
retrofit of the Merrill Crowe smelting step with an EMEW based circuit, even at established operations.
The immediate advantages of the circuit described in this paper include the following:
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o

Lower power consumption

No precipitate drying
No production of slag
No loss of precious metals to slag
No recirculation of contaminant metals (eg copper)
Lower operating costs
Lower manpower input
Higher security of product
Process simplification

The overall financial benefit of the retrofit will be dependant on the nature of the operation and its location.
The following paper establishes, for a model project producing approximately 600 kg/day of silver:

Immediate operating cost saving of approximately US$380,000 per annum

Cost of implementation of the new circuit between US$300,000 and US$380,000

Increased annual revenue (dependant on existing slag losses) between US$0.14 and US$1.4
million

1.0

INTRODUCTION

The most widely used methods for recovering silver and gold from cyanide solutions are:
1.
2.

The Merrill Crowe process

Carbon adsorption (CIP and CIL)

Carbon adsorption has taken a large proportion of the market in recent years, and is now exclusively
applied on low grade gold solutions generated by heap leaching. However, the Merrill Crowe process
remains in reasonably wide usage for treating ores of high silver content, or leach solutions with a high
concentration of contaminant metals.
The Merrill Crowe process entails precipitation of precious metals through addition of fine zinc powder to
the solution. It relies on a fundamental chemical reaction, whereby more electropositive metals (such as
gold and silver, but also copper, lead and others) precipitate out, in metallic form, in the presence of a metal
which is more electronegative (such as zinc). While the chemistry is relatively straightforward, its
application requires multiple process steps and addition of reagents resulting in a complex plant which
requires careful monitoring, control and maintenance (and whose operating cost is relatively high).
A typical Merrill Crowe circuit contains the following steps

Ultra-clarification of the solution

Deaeration of the PLS
Addition of reagents
Precipitation with zinc powder
Collection and filtering of product

Drying of the product

Smelting to produce a dor bar
Recovery of slag from smelting
Reprocessing of slag

The EMEW technology is becoming recognised by mine operators as the best available technology in this
industry being a proven commercial alternative to Merrill Crowe.
The direct electrowinning technology provided by Electrometals Technologies Limited of Australia is a
proven commercial alternative to Merrill Crowe, which performs the same overall process aim in a
markedly simpler fashion. The result is significant and measurable financial and process benefits,
including marked reductions in:
1.
2.
3.

Capital cost
Operating cost
Flow sheet complexity

The most wide reaching application for the EMEW technology in this area lies in complete replacement of
the Merrill Crowe process on new projects, or expansion and/or refurbishment of installed facilities.
EMEW as a primary precious metal recovery process is described in detail in a separate technical paper
(EMEW, Silver Recovery from Cyanide Solutions, P.A.Treasure, Nov 2004).
However the EMEW technology also has immediate application at sites where Merrill Crowe facilities are
already installed. There are compelling financial and process advantages to combining a small leach
circuit with EMEW electrowinning of a high grade dor product for replacement of the back end of
installed facilities the drying, smelting and slag re-processing steps.
This technical paper focuses on the assessment of the practical and financial benefits of replacement
of the smelting step at the end of installed Merrill Crowe facilities.

2.0

CONVENTIONAL SMELTING CIRCUIT

The following sketch outlines the steps in a conventional Merrill Crowe product handling and smelting
circuit:

There are a number of areas where cost savings and operating improvements are possible:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

The fine powder from the zinc precipitation requires complete drying
The smelting process requires a high level of energy input
Smelting requires the addition of specialised reagents
Melting crucibles are a significant cost
Smelting produces slag contain a proportion of the precious metals
Current methods for slag retreatment do not recover all of the precious metals
Re-introduction of slag to the leach circuit results in contaminant recycle (eg Cu)

Costs in these areas, and impact on overall recovery in the circuit, are governed by the amount and
composition of slag generated by the operation which, in turn, reflect the composition of the leach
solution being treated. In general terms, the higher the level of metals such as copper, zinc and lead in the
PLS, the larger the amount of slag that will be produced in the smelting step.
There is an easier and cleaner way of doing it releach the Merrill Crowe precipitate and direct
EMEW to produce a high grade dor. The result:

No product drying is required

No pyrometallurgy is required
No slag is produced

3.0

THE ALTERNATE FLOW SHEET

The following flow sheet overcomes complexity and inefficiencies inherent to the Merrill Crowe circuit
using hydrometallurgy rather than pyrometallurgy as the base method. Merrill Crowe precipitate (or silver
powder produced by direct electrowinning) is dissolved in a small high intensity cyanidation circuit, and
the precious metals are recovered through a small direct electrowinning circuit, to produce a high grade
dor:

Key features and performance factors in this flow sheet are summarised as follows:
3.1

Product collection and handling

One of the main characteristics of the proposed circuit is that the powder product does not require complete
drying. It requires only filtration prior to introduction to the leach circuit. There will be some carry over of
solution to the leach stage, but water balance is maintained through an impurity bleed from the circuit.
Transfer of the product to leaching is automated.
This results in removal of a complete step from the conventional smelting circuit. Operating costs are
reduced through removing double handling of the product, personnel input and energy required for the
drying and smelting steps.

3.2

Leaching

Comprehensive test work has shown that simple agitated leaching is capable of recovery in excess of
99.9% of the silver and gold from both Merrill Crowe precipitate. The following table summarises the
results of single leach tests and a series of 3 closed cycle test runs, performed on product from operating
facilities.

MC ppt
Single tests
Feed assay
Ag (%)
Au (%)
Zn (%)
Cu (%)
Pb (%)
Metal recoveries
Ag (%)
Au (%)
Zn (%)
Cu (%)
Pb (%)

#1

MC ppt
Closed loop recycle tests
#2

c1

c2

c3

60.42
0.92
5.80
11.00
3.60

0.80
9.47
16.71
4.98

68.13
0.97
6.15
6.40
3.34

68.13
0.97
6.15
6.40
3.34

68.13
0.97
6.15
6.40
3.34

99.86
100.00
89.96
98.52

99.98
99.97
99.75
99.95

99.90
99.96
99.20
99.83

99.90
99.90
99.11
99.74

99.97
99.63
98.63

88.09

95.06

85.21

16.42

Compared to the flows through the primary recovery plant, the mass flow through this stage of the circuit is
extremely small. Including a factor of 25% w/w moisture after filtering, for a 600 kg/day silver recovery
plant, feed to the leach circuit would be approximately 1-2 m3/day.
3.3

Cyanide consumption

The only reagent used in this circuit is cyanide. Areas where consumption of the reagent can occur are:
1.
2.
3.

In dissolution of metals other than silver and gold

Through oxidation during electrowinning
Contained in the bleed to control build up of contaminants

One of the primary targets of the closed cycle tests reported in the above table has been to quantify
potential cost in reagent consumption.
Leaching was conducted at a constant free cyanide concentration of approximately 0.74kg/kg silver.
Pertinent results are summarised as follows:
Free cyanide concentration maintained in leach
Cyanide used in first leach
Average cyanide used in subsequent cycles
Overall consumption in 3 cycles
Ag+Au as percent of total metals leached

:
:
:
:
:
:

0.5 kg/kg feed (0.74kg/kg Silver)

1.2 kg/kg feed (1.76kg/kg silver)
0.4 kg/kg feed (0.59kg/kg Silver)
0.54 kg/kg feed (0.79kg/kg silver)
0.65 kg/kg metals leached
84%

Cyanide consumed in the leaching reduced progressively as the solution became loaded. The overall
usage indicated above is, therefore, likely to indicate a worst case for the target material in this test work.

As illustrated in the following chart, silver depletion in the electrowinning stages of each leach/EW test
resulted in the release of free cyanide to the solution at a rate that would be expected when silver is
removed from the cyanide complex. The recovery of cyanide in this work was equivalent to 0.54 kg/kg
of silver electrowon.
Actual vs Theoretical Free Cyanide Generation
During EMEW Silver Recovery
30.0

Cyanide, g/L

25.0
20.0
Actual

15.0

Theoretical

10.0
5.0
0.0
0

50

100

150

Time, min

Providing for recovery in the silver (and gold) electrowinning step, overall consumption of cyanide in the
circuit is equivalent to approximately 170 kg/tonne of solids leached in this programme. Effectively this
consumption is attributed to dissolution of other metals contained in the precipitate (including zinc, copper
and lead).
The loss of cyanide through an impurity bleed will be governed by the composition of the feed material and
the rate at which contaminating metals, such as copper and zinc, are taken up in the leach. Under the
relatively high cyanide concentrations maintained in this circuit, EMEW is capable of maintaining very
high selectivity for silver and gold, even when impurity metals reach quite high concentrations in the
electrolyte.
Taking the above work as an example, where silver and gold account for approximately 84% of the metals
recovered during leaching, a bleed of 5-15% of the recycling leach solution would maintain contaminants
at a level where a high purity dor can still be guaranteed. After polishing of contained silver through a
small subsidiary EMEW circuit (see Impurity Control below), it is expected that the barren solution would be
disposed to tails.
Loss of cyanide in the bleed will be dependant on the concentration of free cyanide after silver polishing
but is estimated in the above case study to be approximately 100 kg/tonne of feed material (0.15 kg/kg
silver).
The following table provides an indicative cyanide balance for the test programme conducted:
Cyanide consumption

kg/kg
feed

Cyanide consumed in leach

Cyanide regenerated in EW
Cyanide lost to bleed
Total

-0.54
0.37
-0.10
-0.27

3.4

Electrowinning

A high grade dor is electrowon from the resulting solution, on a continuous basis. The presence of
relatively high free cyanide concentration in the leach solution allows EMEW to achieve a high degree of
selectivity for silver and gold over the other contained metals. Electrowinning efficiency for silver in this
solution is extremely high (75 to 90+%) and a small plant only is required to achieve high production levels
for the precious metals.
The following chart tracks performance through continuous electrowinning of a solution containing
between 16 and 25 g/l of silver, down to below 5 g/l.
EMEW Depletion Curves - Silver
30.0

Silver, g/L

25.0
20.0

E1

15.0

E2
E3

10.0
5.0
0.0
0

50

100

150

200

Time, Minutes

The straight line nature of the above profiles confirms consistency of performance of the electrowinning
over the entire concentration profile in question. The electrowinning can therefore be performed at a
constant silver concentration at the bottom end of the profile thus minimising the amount of metal
remaining to be stripped from the impurity bleed.
Typical operating parameters for the dor section of the circuit are as follows:
Current density
Cell model
Current efficiency
Production rate
Cell voltage

:
:
:
:
:

150-200 a/m2
150 mm diameter
>75%
7 to 8+ kg/cell/day
3-4 volts

The result of the primary electrowinning is a solid tubular dor cathode, of between 15 and 25 kg weight.
As noted, in the presence of relatively high free cyanide concentration, quality of the dor is extremely
high. The following table provides purity data obtained from electrowinning of a relatively highly
contaminated solution:
Solution

E1

ppm

E2

E3

Solids %

Ag

30000

95.93

95.38

96.9

Au

560

0.17

0.29

0.23

Cu

3500

0.002

0.001

0.003

Pb

80

2.81

2.14

2.67

3.5

Impurity control

As well as recovering precious metals from solution, the Merrill Crowe process results in precipitation of
metals such as copper, zinc and lead. Most of these metals report to the slag produced in smelting of the
final product. As it can contain an appreciable amount of precious metals, the slag is then retreated
generally through crushing/grinding and recycle back to the primary leach.
The EMEW circuit proposed here does not produce any slag. It prevents the build up of metal
contaminants in the circuit through a small impurity bleed stream from the electrowinning facility. As
noted above, a small bleed will control build up in the circuit and will result in complete removal of metals
such as copper and zinc from the treatment plant. As the precipitate leach circuit operates at a relatively
high cyanide level, the concentration of secondary metals can reach quite high values in the electrolyte
before having any effect on the EMEW dor quality.
Silver and gold are recovered from the bleed stream utilising a small EMEW polishing circuit. This will
generally comprise a small fully automated EMEW powder circuit, or a small plating facility, depending
on the concentration to which the silver is stripped. In the case of the former, the product will be
transferred back to the precipitate leach or, if cathode is produced, this will be added to the primary dor
for sale.
The following chart illustrates typical performance of EMEW in the polishing circuit:

Metals vs. Time

0.35
0.3
0.25
0.2

0.15
0.1
0.05

Solution tenor, Au ppm

Solution Tenor, Ag g/L

0
0

10

20

30

40

50

Sample Time, hours

Typical operating parameters in this portion of the circuit, for a concentration range between 2 and 0.02 g/l,
are as follows:
Current density
Cell model
Current efficiency
Production rate
Cell voltage

:
:
:
:
:

50-100 a/m2
150 mm diameter
>75%
2-4 kg/cell/day
3-4 volts

Transferring the electrolyte bleed to the tailings stream will result in a minor loss of cyanide from the
facility. Under modelled parameters from an operating site, this has been projected at approximately 100
kg of cyanide per tonne of Merrill Crowe precipitate leached equivalent to approximately 0.15 kg per kg
of silver (and gold) recovered.

4.0

PREVENTION OF PRECIOUS METAL LOSS TO SLAG

The issue of slag losses in smelting of Merrill Crowe precipitate warrants specific comment in this paper,
as it represents a generally underestimated and unquantified potential loss of revenue to an operating site.
The formation of slag acts, during the smelting process, as a purification step for removal of a large
proportion of secondary metals from the final dor product. However a completely clean separation of the
slag from the dor is not possible, and some of the target precious metals are entrained in the slag product.
A secondary recovery process is therefore often needed which is commonly achieved through grinding
the material and returning it to the primary ore leach circuit.
However, due to the differences in mineralogy between the primary ore and the slag, it is unlikely that the
conditions in the primary leach will be optimal for high recovery of precious metals from the slag.
The result of incomplete slag leaching is irrecoverable loss of precious metals to tailings.
Releaching of slag also results in continuous recycle of some of the contaminant metals in the primary
leach/recovery circuit. This has potential to affect the efficiency of the primary leach step itself.
The amount of slag produced and its precious metal content will be governed by the composition of the
Merrill Crowe precipitate, and the efficiency of the smelting process. Conditions vary widely from site to
site but, wherever a Merrill Crowe precipitate smelting step is used, the problem will exist to some degree.
The following table quantifies the potential problem, by providing data (based on internal studies of
operating projects) for two model projects one producing a high precious metal content slag; the other a
higher quantity of lower concentration.

Ag production (kg/day)
Slag production per day (kg)

Model 1

Model 2

500
800

500
1500

28,000
40.00
259,293
370

3,500
3.00
60,772
52

1,963,215

446,238

Precious metals in slag

Ag (g/t)
Au (g/t)
Ag (ounces per annum)
Au (ounces per annum)
Annual value (Ag US$7/oz, Au US$400/oz)

Electrometals investigations suggest that slag production is commonly equivalent to between 1.5 and 3 kg
of slag for every kg of silver produced. Composition is highly variable, but the two models presented
above are suggested to represent two ends of a range within which most operating facilities would fit.
The potential revenue loss (even at the lower end of the range) dictates that the material be retreated.
Eventual impact on project cash flow will depend on the efficiency of the process used. Project
investigations by Electrometals have suggested that simply grinding the material and returning it to the ore
leach system will have a widely variable result of between 30 and 65% recovery of the precious metals.

10

Potential loss can not be determined without detailed study of specific projects. However, the following
table provides an indication of the losses that can be incurred, in a project sized at 500 kg/day primary
silver production, at varying levels of leach recovery from the slag.
Recovery
% precious

High grade
slag

Low grade
slag

metals

30
50
70

Potential loss US$/annum

1,374,251
312,367
981,608
223,119
588,965
133,871

Although this analysis is only of a general nature, it provides a broad ready reckoner for the potential
impact of slag losses in an operating facility. It clearly indicates that, unless smelting is highly efficient or
the primary silver precipitate is very low in contaminant metals, the potential financial loss is significant.
The precipitate leach/electrowin circuit presented in this paper:

Recovers all of the precious metals from the Merrill Crowe precipitate
Prevents recycle of contaminant metals back to the primary leach system
Achieves savings in cyanide consumption through metal recycle to the leach

There is only one certain way to prevent loss of precious metals to the slags formed during smelting:

DO NOT PRODUCE SLAG

11

4.0

THE COST OF IMPLEMENTATION

An EMEW facility, being modular in design, can be configured in a variety of ways to suit a specific sites
requirements. Its layout, size and cost will depend on the requirements of the site and the agreed scope of
supply. The following notes examine a case study, based on recent investigation of operating sites, in
accordance with the following basic design criteria:

4.1

Silver production rate

500-600 kg/day

Precipitate composition

Ag (%) :
Au (%) :
Cu (%) :
Zn (%) :
Pb (%) :
Other(%):

Scope of supply

Complete turnkey silver recovery circuit after

Filtration of Merrill Crowe precipitate

60.0
1.0
11.0
6.0
3.6
19.0

Capital Cost

As a replacement for the smelting step in a Merrill Crowe plant the battery limits of the new circuit will
extend from the cake discharge from the primary precipitation filter. General plant requirements for the
modelled project are summarised as follows:
Electrowinning
Electrometals Technologies provides a complete turnkey facility for the electrowinning circuit which
includes:

Plant engineering (both EMEW and support facilities)

Required number of complete EMEW cells
Modular frames and walkways
Rectifier and all plant DC wiring
Process pumps, manifolds and valves
Detailed drawings and operating manuals
Process guarantees (subject to testing of clients solution)

Pricing of the facilities assumes that no modifications from standard designs are required by the client.
Budget pricing for the complete primary and polishing facilities for this case study is of the order of
US$300,000-360,000, dependant on location and final scope of supply.
Ancillary equipment
With a moisture content of approximately 25% w/w after primary filtration, the flow of solids to the
leach/EW section will be approximately 1.4 tonnes per day. Bulk density of the solids will vary with
composition, but volume flow should not exceed 1-2m3/day. Size of the leach circuit will be dictated by
required residence time and slurry density. Assuming a (maximum) residence of 48 hours to ensure
complete dissolution of the precious metals from the precipitate, and slurry density in the leach of 20%, the
total volume required in the leach tanks will be of the order of 10m3.

12

General equipment requirements in the leach circuit are as follows:

Agitated leach tank/s (10m3)

Electrolyte holding tank and related pipe work/valves
Pipe work and storage tank for bleed stripping circuit
Solids return from the leach circuit
Cyanide storage and addition

Again, capital cost of the supporting equipment will depend on location of the site and a clients specific
requirements. The circuit is small and does not require highly specialised equipment, materials or
engineering. A maximum expenditure of US$48,000 has been estimated by Electrometals for the modelled
project.
Total installed price for installation of the replacement circuit is therefore estimated to be in the region of
US$380,000 for a 600 kg/day silver production plant (or approximately US$0.06 per annual oz Ag).
4.2

Operating Cost

Direct operating costs in the proposed circuit are summarised as follows:

Electrowinning power
Cyanide consumption in leach
Cyanide loss in bleed
Maintenance

:
:
:
:

less than 1 kWh/kg of silver

0.44 kg/kg silver
0.15 kg/kg silver
minor

The labour requirement in the proposed circuit is significantly less that that required in a Merrill Crowe
smelting circuit. Duties are restricted to:

Occasional monitoring of the circuit

Harvesting of the silver dor tubes
Occasional maintenance requirements

A single trained operator, on a day shift only basis, would be capable of performing all of the duties
required. It is expected also that the circuit would be monitored from a central DCS system when it is not
physically manned.
Operating costs of the circuit will vary widely with geographic location and price of consumables
reagents power and labour. The following table provides a comparison between the operating costs of an
EMEW based leach/dor circuit with conventional smelting at a model site in North America.

13

Conventional
Smelting
US$/kg Ag

EMEW
leach/EW
US$/kg Ag

600
6,750,000

600
6,750,000

Electric Power
Maintenance
Fluxes - boric/sodium nitrate
Labour
Crucibles
Diesel/gas
Other
Cyanide

0.13
0.33
0.64
0.21
0.54
0.35
0.25
0.00

0.12
0.03
0.00
0.05
0.00
0.00
0.08
0.38

US$/kg silver
US$/oz Ag
Operating cost saving US$/annum

2.46
0.08

0.66
0.02
$377,133

KG/DAY SILVER (AVE)

Oz/annum Ag

The direct operating cost savings that are achievable in replacement of a smelting circuit are therefore
significant. In the case of the above modelled 600 kg per day production plant, the direct saving is
equivalent to approximately US$380,000 per annum.
DIRECT COST SAVINGS ALONE WILL PAY FOR THE CAPITAL COST OF
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROPOSED CIRCUIT WITHIN
APPROXIMATELY ONE YEAR
This does not, however, provide for additional financial benefits that exist in:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

The prevention of losses of precious metals in slag retreatment

Purging of contaminant metals from the circuit
The higher product security in the EMEW circuit
Higher product purity
Safer and simpler circuit

Detailed analysis of individual projects is required before the impact of these can be precisely quantified.
However the economic justification for replacing existing smelting operations with the circuit proposed
here becomes even more compelling for an operation which is known to be losing precious metals to slag
retreatment.

14

5.0

CONCLUSION

It is clear that, as well as offering some key process advantages over smelting, there is a very compelling
financial case for implementation of the circuit described in this paper. The immediate advantages of the
EMEW based hydrometallurgical facility include:
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o

Lower power consumption

No precipitate drying
No production of slag
No loss of precious metals to slag
No recirculation of contaminant metals (eg copper)
Lower operating costs
Lower manpower input
Higher security of product
Process simplification

The overall financial benefit of the retrofit will be dependant on the nature of the operation and its location.
However, modelling based on examination of a number of operating sites suggest that:

There are significant and immediate operating cost savings

Capital can be rapidly repaid through cost savings and increased revenue

Given that the EMEW technology is relatively new to the silver mining market, there may be a tendency
to consider that there is technical or process risk in its application. There are technical risks in any
hydrometallurgical process plant. It is, however, possible to minimise those risks, and prevent significant
impact on adjacent processes, if:
1.
2.
3.

The process is simple,

It does not rely on numerous individual process steps, and
It is designed to provide fault detection and back up in the event of equipment failure.

The design of an EMEW plant, and the equipment with which it is supplied, is based around many years
analysis by Electrometals of these risks. EMEW simply applies the age old science of electrowinning in
a more efficient way, through the use of innovative hardware, and achieves the required aim without the
addition of reagents.

15