Activated Carbon in Gold Mining: CIL and CIP Circuits
The invisible hero of modern gold production is activated carbon. Gold dissolved from ore by cyanide leaching is collected from solution by carbon; most of the gold produced worldwide passes through the pores of a carbon particle on its way to the ingot.
CIL and CIP: two circuits, one principle
In both processes, ground ore is mixed with cyanide solution; gold dissolves as a gold-cyanide complex and adsorbs into the carbon’s pores.
- CIP (Carbon in Pulp): carbon is added in separate tanks after leaching is complete
- CIL (Carbon in Leach): carbon circulates inside the leach tanks; leaching and adsorption run simultaneously
Carbon is separated from the pulp on screens — which explains why carbon selection is critical.
What a gold carbon must offer
| Property | Why critical |
|---|---|
| Hardness 97%+ | Mechanical agitation grinds particles; broken grains escape the screens |
| Low platelet/attrition loss | Every carbon fragment passing the screen disappears with its gold |
| Coarse 6x12 mesh | Safe screen separation, good movement in pulp |
| Coconut shell based | Hardness + fast gold adsorption kinetics |
| Low ash, acid washed | Elution efficiency and fouling control |
Carbon lost to attrition is really gold lost: every kilogram of loaded carbon carries grams of gold. Cheap but soft carbon is the most expensive choice in a gold circuit.
The journey of loaded carbon: elution and regeneration
Gold-saturated carbon is taken off the circuit and eluted with hot caustic-cyanide solution; the gold returns to solution and is recovered by electrowinning. The carbon then passes through thermal regeneration in a rotary kiln to shed organic fouling and rejoins the circuit. A batch of carbon lives this cycle dozens of times — the principles of reactivation apply here too.
For your gold circuit, request the hardness and attrition values of our CIL/CIP carbon; we can arrange a comparative attrition test against your current carbon.
