Metallurgy’s Hidden Challenge

The Impact of Clays

🧪 Not all ores behave the same when it comes to processing. One of the biggest hidden challenges? Clays.

Clays can wreak havoc in processing by:
⚠️ Causing poor percolation in heap leach operations
⚠️ Binding with cyanide, increasing reagent consumption
⚠️ Creating excessive slimes, leading to gold losses

Take a look at this filter press cake from a recent test. It might look like chocolate mousse , but don’t be fooled—it’s actually the -200 mesh size fraction of a sample with high clay content. This ultra-fine material can cause serious processing headaches, from poor solid-liquid separation to unexpected losses in recovery.

At our lab, we assess clay intensity and fines content to predict potential issues before they impact full-scale operations. In one case, we encountered an ore with high clay content, requiring adjusted agglomeration techniques to improve permeability.

Knowing how clays behave in your ore can make or break your processing strategy.