Technical Study of Gold Processing by Amalgamation Method in Dirung Lingkin - Murung Raya Regency - Veri Antoni; Romla Noor Hakim; Marselinus Untung Dwiatmoko; Murniansyah Murniansyah; Zamiyatul Dwi Rahman (Jurnal Himasapta, 2026)
Pertambangan emas skala kecil (ASGM) masih banyak menggunakan metode amalgamasi karena sederhana, murah, dan mudah diterapkan. Salah satu metode yang umum digunakan adalah whole-ore amalgamation, yaitu pencampuran merkuri langsung ke seluruh bijih emas tanpa proses konsentrasi terlebih dahulu. Namun, metode ini memiliki kelemahan berupa recovery emas yang rendah serta kehilangan merkuri yang tinggi. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menganalisis proses pengolahan emas menggunakan metode amalgamasi serta mengetahui pengaruh berat bijih emas, penggunaan air raksa, dan waktu pengolahan terhadap berat amalgam yang dihasilkan.Penelitian dilakukan di Desa Dirung Lingkin, Kecamatan Murung, Kabupaten Murung Raya. Metode penelitian meliputi tahap persiapan, pengumpulan data, pengolahan data, analisis, dan penyusunan laporan. Pengamatan dilakukan pada proses pengolahan emas menggunakan alat glondong selama Februari–April 2023 dengan total 31 data percobaan. Parameter yang diamati meliputi berat bijih emas, jumlah air raksa, ukuran umpan, waktu pengolahan, dan berat amalgam yang dihasilkan. Data kemudian dikelompokkan berdasarkan variabel berat bijih, berat air raksa, dan waktu pengolahan untuk mengetahui hubungan antarvariabel.Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa penggunaan air raksa dan waktu pengolahan cenderung meningkatkan berat amalgam yang dihasilkan, terutama pada waktu pengolahan 8–9 jam. Pengaruh penggunaan air raksa terhadap berat amalgam menunjukkan hubungan positif dengan nilai koefisien determinasi tertinggi sebesar R² = 0,3301, sedangkan pengaruh berat bijih dan waktu pengolahan umumnya tergolong lemah. Variasi hasil amalgam menunjukkan bahwa proses amalgamasi juga dipengaruhi oleh faktor lain seperti karakteristik bijih, ukuran partikel, homogenitas umpan, dan efektivitas penggilingan di dalam glondong. Kata-kata kunci: amalgamasi, merkuri, glondong, bijih emasABSTRACTArtisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) continues to develop in many countries, including Indonesia, due to the abundant occurrence of primary and secondary gold deposits. One of the most commonly applied extraction methods in ASGM is amalgamation, which utilizes mercury to bind gold particles and form Au–Hg amalgam. Whole-ore amalgamation is widely used because it is simple, inexpensive, and easy to operate. However, this method is associated with low gold recovery and high mercury losses. This study aimed to analyze the gold processing practice using the amalgamation method and to evaluate the influence of ore weight, mercury consumption, and milling time on the amalgam yield produced during processing. The research was conducted in Dirung Lingkin Village, Murung District, Murung Raya Regency. The study consisted of preparation, data collection, data processing, analysis, and report preparation stages. Field observations were carried out on gold processing activities using a traditional trommel mill (glondong) from February to April 2023, with a total of 31 experimental observations. The observed parameters included ore weight, mercury consumption, feed size, milling time, and amalgam weight. The collected data were grouped based on ore weight, mercury usage, and processing time to determine the relationship between operational variables and amalgam production. The results indicate that mercury consumption and milling time generally showed a positive correlation with amalgam yield, particularly at processing durations of 8–9 hours. The strongest relationship was observed between mercury consumption and amalgam weight, with a coefficient of determination of R² = 0.3301. Meanwhile, the influence of ore weight and milling time was generally categorized as weak. Variations in amalgam production suggest that the amalgamation process is also affected by other factors, including ore characteristics, particle size distribution, feed homogeneity, gold grade distribution, and grinding efficiency within the trommel mill.Key words: Amalgamation, mercury, tromoll mill, gold ore