When gold occurs in mining waste for a long time, it becomes coated with dense films of hydroxide of iron, manganese, copper and silver sulfides, hydromica powder and clayey particles, which greatly complicate concentration of such gold by gravity. An efficient method to remove such coatings from gold is treatment of waste using chemical reagents based on halogen-containing compounds. The article presents experimental results on extraction of fine gold from tailings of sluice boxes and dredging classifiers using such chemical reagents.

Due to a technical error volume 53, issue 4, 2017 has been published online with an incorrect cover data. The issue has erroneously been distributed with the cover date July 2018. The correct caver date for volume 53, issue 4 should be July 2017.

It has been found that gold mine waste in the Amur River Area (Priamurye, Russian Far East) contains associated minerals of gold, belonging in the group of useful components. In view of the complicated nature of the mine waste, it is decided on the appraisal and recovery of the associated useful components with the help of rational technologies.

The authors develop the methods for concentration and recovery of dispersed ultrafine gold, including nanogold, in the mining wastes at gold placers by using laser action and chemical reagents.

The article characterizes morphology and grain sizes of gold contained in silt-clayey tailing dumps formed in the course of mining of natural placers in the Far East territory of Russia. The authors assess gold distribution in micron size fractions, from 100 μm to 2 μm, and illustrate efficiency of application of a reagent technology to fine and very fine gold recovery.