Relative to Pressure Leaching
- Lower capital cost
- Oxidative leach at moderate temperature and atmospheric pressure
- Fewer units of operation, leading to simpler plant layout
- Easier to operate and maintain as simple proven units of equipment are used
- Lower cyanide consumption if gold recovery from residues is conducted
- Higher silver recoveries from residues
- For precious metals circuits, the Albion Process is an alkaline leach, and filtration/CCD circuits are not required ahead of cyanidation
- Preferential oxidation of sulphides to elemental sulphur, with lower overall oxygen requirements
- Suited to both smaller and larger scale plants
Relative to Bacterial Leaching
- Lower capital and operating costs
- Lower leach residence time, which results in lower working capital
- Robust process that is not sensitive to process upsets, power failures etc.
- Lower cyanide consumption if gold recovery from residues is conducted
- Higher silver recoveries from residues.
- Process not sensitive to water quality (salinity)
- Can treat lower grade concentrates, no requirement for a particular sulphur or carbonate level in concentrate
- Can oxidise pyrite as well as arsenopyrite
- Higher silver recoveries from residues
- For precious metals circuits, the Albion Process is an alkaline leach, and filtration/CCD circuits are not required ahead of cyanidation
Relative to Roasting/Smelting
- Lower capital costs and no requirement for an acid plant
- No sulphur dioxide emissions
- Can treat lower grade concentrates, no requirement for a particular sulphur level in concentrate
- Environmental permitting should be easier to obtain
- Not affected by deleterious minor elements ("dirty concentrates"), such as arsenic, fluorine etc. These elements report to the leach residue in a benign form
 top
|
|
