The BIOX® process has many real advantages over alternative refractory processes such as roasting or pressure oxidation. These include: improved rates of gold recovery; significantly lower capital cost; low operating cost; robust technology that is suited to remote locations; low levels of skills required for operation; environmentally friendly; ongoing process development and improvement; and it is backed by over 25 years of operating knowledge by an experienced team that provides ongoing technical support.
The ASTER™ process offers competitive advantages to existing destruction processes, including: efficient thiocyanate and cyanide removals; optimal microorganism performance to tailings feeds; simple metallurgical process with low capital cost; robust technology that is suited to remote locations; low levels of skill required for monitoring; low operating costs and it is backed by an experienced team that provides ongoing technical support.
THE BIOX® PROCESS
The BIOX® process, for the treatment of refractory gold ores and concentrates has been commercially in operation for the past 25 years.
Gold Fields Limited, the owners of the BIOX® technology, are the leaders in the testing, design and implementation of the biooxidation processing plants throughout the world.
To date Gold Fields have successfully commissioned twelve BIOX® plants, of which ten are currently in operation.
ASTER™, an acronym for Activated Sludge Tailings Effluent Remediation, was developed in the late 1990s and is owned by Gold Fields Limited.
The process, which relies on a range of aerobic microorganisms to oxidise thiocyanate and cyanide, was developed to deliver an improved and integrated water balance for re-use in BIOX® applications. Previously, the recycling of tailings process water containing concentrations of thiocyanate and cyanide was impractical owing to the almost zero tolerance of the microorganisms used in the bioleaching of sulphide minerals to these species.
Gold Fields’ BIOX® Department comprises a small team of well-qualified metallurgists and process engineers. The team's main function is to promote and service Gold Field’s two proprietary technologies.
The process may vary considerably depending on the needs of the individual client, but this framework can be used as a guideline for the basic steps followed during the development of a BIOX® project.
