machinery used to extract gold for gold mining

Gold mining involves various types of machinery to extract gold from ore or placer deposits. The choice of equipment depends on the type of deposit (hard rock/placer), scale of operation (large-scale/small-scale), and environmental considerations. Below are the key machines used:

1. Hard Rock Gold Mining Machinery

Used for extracting gold from solid rock deposits (lode mining).

Drilling Equipment

• Jumbo Drills – Used in underground mines to drill blast holes.
• Rotary Drills – For open-pit mining, creating holes for explosives.
• Diamond Core Drills – Extract core samples for exploration.

Blasting & Excavation

• Explosives (ANFO, dynamite) – Break up hard rock.
• Load-Haul-Dump (LHD) Loaders – Transport blasted ore in underground mines.
• Excavators & Bulldozers – Remove overburden and load ore in open-pit mines.

Crushing & Grinding

• Jaw Crusher – Primary crushing of large rocks.
• Cone Crusher/Gyratory Crusher – Secondary crushing.
• Ball Mill/SAG Mill – Grinds crushed ore into fine powder for processing.



Gravity Separation & Flotation

• Shaking Tables – Separate gold particles using gravity.
• Centrifugal Concentrators (Knelson/Falcon) – Enhance fine gold recovery.
• Flotation Cells – Use chemicals to separate gold-bearing minerals from waste.

Chemical Processing

• CIL/CIP Tanks (Carbon-in-Leach/Pulp) – Dissolve gold using cyanide, then adsorb onto activated carbon.
• Electrowinning Cells – Extract pure gold from solution via electrolysis.
• Mercury Retorts (Small-scale, hazardous) – Used informally but discouraged due to toxicity.

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2. Placer Gold Mining Machinery

Used for extracting gold from loose sediments like riverbeds/alluvial deposits.

Excavation & Washing

• Excavators/Dredges – Scoop up gravel/sand containing gold.

– Bucket-Line Dredges
– Suction Dredges
– Hydraulic Monitors (high-pressure water jets)

Screening & Classification

• Trommel Screens – Rotating drums separate gravel by size.
• Vibrating Screens



Gravity Separation

• Slutce Boxes (Traditional)
• Gold Panning (Manual)