CSIRO Minerals researchers have developed floating barriers for gold leach tanks that reduces potentially harmful hydrogen cyanide gas levels in the work area.
Hydrogen cyanide gas is sometimes released from the slurry in gold processing operations, presenting a health and safety risk for employees if allowed to reach toxic levels.
The new barriers are made of crosslinked polyethylene foam, and reduced the gas concentrations above the tanks by 66% in trials in which 56% of the slurry surface was covered. They also reduced the number and size of gas spikes.
According to the scientists, they found a material called Trocellen allowed for a longer lasting solution.
The hexagonal barrier panels lasted more than six months and researchers estimated it would cost about $100,000 to install them in six, 11-metre diameter tanks.
The researchers are working on handling issues, especially when the barriers need to be removed.
During the trial run, the scientists also set up sensors at a plant to determine gas concentration variations. They found the level of gas the sensors were exposed to affected their lifespan, putting into doubt the usefulness of detector-driven warning and lock-out systems.
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