Pressure oxidation

Pressure Oxidation is a process for extracting gold from refractory ore.

The most common refractory ores are pyrite and arsenopyrite, which are sulfide ores that trap the gold within them. Refractory ores require pre-treatment before the gold can be adequately extracted. The pressure oxidation process is used to prepare such ores for conventional gold extraction processes such as cyanidation. It is performed in an autoclave at high pressure and temperature, where high-purity oxygen mixes with a slurry of ore.