How to Choose the Right Iodine Value for Gold Recovery

In gold recovery processes such as carbon-in-pulp and carbon-in-leach, granular activated carbon adsorbs dissolved gold from the slurry. Buyers often start with the iodine number, but it is only one part of the picture.

What the iodine number tells you

The iodine number indicates how developed the small pores are. A higher value generally points to more adsorption capacity for small molecules, but it does not directly measure gold loading.

Hardness matters in circulation

Because the carbon is stirred and moved through the circuit, abrasion resistance is critical. Softer carbon breaks into fines, and gold on those fines can be lost. Ask for hardness data alongside the iodine value.

Particle size

Granular carbon for gold recovery is supplied in a narrow size range so it can be screened from the pulp. Confirm the mesh size that fits your plant's screens.

Test before you buy

The most reliable approach is to test a sample against your own ore and process conditions. Share your process details and target specification, and we can discuss suitable grades.