Electro-Magnetic Treatment of Gold Ores for Improved Heap Leaching Kinetics


A Passive Electro-Magnetic method of imparting microscopic mechanical fissures and cracks into silica morphologies of gold ores that has some residual iron therein. The iron particles are made to vibrate in response to an applied EM field. This produces much improved lixiviant distribution throughout the ore matrix thus improving the leaching kinetics and yield.

Silver yield also increased from 3% baseline to 9% in the samples tested. Barrick was looking for a 20% increase minimum for their silver yield in their “Unlock the Value” program.
Barrick Gold Lab results shows a 10- 17% gold recovery improvement over baseline after cyanidation in a 14 day bottle roll done in Barrick Gold’s labs back in 2012 – 2013,
A prototype was never built and the method was never implemented at Valedero.due to ecological and political problems at the mine site in Argentina.
Here is the CAD model of the low frequency EM conductor coil with cooling tubing silver soldered to the flat conductor. This arrangement is easily capable of dissipating 10 kW of power at 330 kHz. The modules stack together lengthwise and provide the pathways for the conveyor belts holding the gold ore.

The electronics driving these modules is readily available on the commercial market and easily integrated to drive the EM conductor coils as shown. The parts surrounding the coil are made from HDPE, They isolate the moving belts from the metal coil.


