You are losing gold without knowing it. Activated carbon is the primary gold recovery agent in leaching operations. It captures the gold-cyanide complex from the leach solution and holds the gold until the elution stage. It is used in two main ways. In CIL and CIP processes, carbon is kept in a series of agitated tanks in direct contact with the pulp or leach solution. This is the most efficient method for primary ore processing. In CIC operations, carbon is used in adsorption columns to recover gold from solutions coming off heap leach pads. Simpler, lower cost, and widely used in artisanal and small-scale mining. In all of these processes, carbon fines are the common enemy. During transport, handling, and even inside the adsorption columns themselves, the granules abrade against each other and break down into very small particles. These fines have the same adsorption capacity as whole carbon granules, capture gold from the solution, pass through the screens, and exit the process carrying gold straight into the tailings. This loss never shows up in any report. It is silent and continuous. The fix is simple. Before loading carbon into the process, wash it in clean water using a sieve with a mesh size finer than your carbon particle size. If your carbon is 8x12 mesh, use a 16 mesh sieve. Agitate until the water runs completely clear. Everything that came out with the water would have stolen your gold. Want to learn more about mining and gold leaching? Follow GoldMiningPro, link in bio. #activatedcarbon #goldleaching #goldmining #goldrecovery #heapleaching - @goldminingpro