An Electro-Magnetic method of generating new microscopic fractures and fissures in the silica morphology of gold ores has been validated at Barrick Gold’s Technology Center. Gold nanoparticle clusters with other ferro-magnetic metals in the silica ore matrix generates strain in the proximal surounding silica when exposed to an electro-magnetic field for a significant increase of lixiviant uptake thus increasing gold and silver recovery with Merrill Crowe heap leaching. We significantly improved the aqueous porosity of gold ore fragments proven to increase in gold and silver yields and show that the technology is economically viable no matter what the lixiviant is.

Barrick Gold Technology Center in Vancouver B.C. Canada. ca. 2010 c/o John Jiang metallurgist.
The silver was not allowed to reach an asymptotic flat curve like that of the gold in the assay.
Barrick’s metallurgist John Jiang recommended finishing the silver assay but Barrick executives declined claiming their “Type1 Ore” was depleted and no longer available at their Valedero mine site rendering a completed assay moot. Hence, the $10M U.S. prize was not awarded because the bottle roll assay was not completed as recommended by their own metallurgist to validate the required 20% lab proof of silver recovery as per Barrick’s UTV DSA contract. ( Development Services Agreement )

18 bottle roll cyanide leaching tests on Edward Melcarek’s RF treated samples and 1 bottle roll
of baseline test were carried out at BTC to evaluate the effect of RF treatment of Veladero Type 1
ore.
Cyanide leaching results reveal that both silver and gold recovery increased with the RF
exposure time from 5 to 60 seconds. The silver recovery may not increase significantly if the RF
exposure time period was extended beyond 60 seconds.
3 frequencies were studied by Edward Melcarek and silver recovery after cyanide leaching was
separately 7.8% at 92 kHz, 8.3% at 332 kHz and 6.6% at 3339 kHz. High frequency is not necessary to improve leaching recovery of Veladero Type 1 ore.
There is a strong correlation between silver leaching recovery and ore surface temperature gain
during RF for all 3 tested series of A, B and C. Higher temperature gains correlated with higher
silver recoveries.
Gold leaching kinetics for both base and RF treated samples was fast. It was completed within 3
days. Gold recovery for RF treated samples was consistently 10-17% higher than baseline.

Recommendations.

To better evaluate the effect of RF technology and have relatively consistent feed, the mass of sample for each test should be increased from currently 0.5-0.8 kg to 2-3 kg.
The frequency to be applied should be further optimized although the results show that an
intermediate frequency works better.
The factors of affecting the temperature gain such as RF exposure time, coil power and
temperature measuring method should be investigated.
The silver recovery would be higher if the bottle roll cyanide leaching period is
extended beyond 13 days.
The improving of gold leaching by RF should be further investigated.

We commissioned an independent assay lab Inspectorate, in the lower Vancouver area to repeat the gold ore bottle roll assay and they informed us after 4 days they had to abandon it because of lixiviant chemistry balancing logistics problems. They sent us a bill for $5,000 regardless of their failed and unfinished assay without prejudice.

We did not pay for the botched assay and they did not pursue us for non-payment. It turned out they are affiliated strongly with Barrick Gold and were not impartial or unbiased towards providing a new 20% Ag assay contradicting Barrick’s 9% being a major client of theirs.

So essentially two unfinished assays werer not allowed to be completed for validation of silver yield as required by the Barrick DSA contract and subsequently the $10M U.S. award was not paid. We only have Barrick’s first unfinished assay results as shown herein. We won’t name anybody.

Gold ore samples from their Valedero mine in Argentina were irradiated at Tocco Magnathermic in Detroit with induction equipment then assayed in Barrick Gold Technology Center labs in Vancouver BC. in 2009

Barrick Gold assay results shows a 10 to 17% gold recovery improvement over baseline after cy anidation in a 3 day cyanide bottle roll assay done in 2009 – 2010 in Vancouver BC.

Silver yield also increased from 3% baseline to 9% in the samples tested. However Barrick Gold was looking for a 20% increase minimum for their silver yield in their “Unlock the Value” program.

Shown here is Barrick’s official partial release of their lab results after declaring that Valedero has run out of their “Type 1” ore. A letter of DSA contract termination followed shortly thereafter.

The electronics needed to drive the induction modules is readily available on the commercial market for the EM conductor coils as shown.

Water cooling tubing is silver soldered to the flat copper conductors. This arrangement is easily capable of dissipating 10 kW of power at up to 330 kHz. of frequency,

The conveyor is completely scalable with regards to throughputs and only needs electricity and water.

Two counter-rotating conveyor belts, over and under, provide dual exposure of the ore fragments to the EM field generated by a plurality of flat copper loop conductors through which the belts pass.

Induction modules stack together lengthwise and provide pathways for the conveyor belts carrying the gold ore fragments thereupon. The adjacent parts surrounding the flat conductor coils are made from HDPE, they provide sliding low friction abutment surfaces for the conveyor belts and electrical isolation from the copper loop coils.

Over and Under counter-rotating conveyor belts bring the ore fragments into the proximal EM field.

This novel dual conveyor method increases residence time in the EM field the gold ore encounters as they pass through an arrangement whereby the residence time of the ore in the EM field is twice that of a machine of any length. ( Over and under )

Also there is a new and novel method in the design stages using neodymium permanent magnets as the source of the magnetic field.

All IP rights are reserved to Edward Melcarek and Steven Duncombe c/o Sono-Dyne Scientific.

A vertical gravity feed version shown here providing continuous ore fragment passage through the EM field generated by a single high current conductor whereby both magnetic flux density and ore voliume through the exposure aperture are controllable.