RECOVERY OF GOLD AND OTHER DENSE MINERALS CONTAINED IN STONE AGGREGATES AND THEIR UPGRADING IN QUALITY FOR THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

The construction industry in Mexico bases its use of aggregates in the manufacture of concrete on two types of aggregates, mainly limestone and alluvial sands and gravels, given their abundance. In the first case, this practice is used by cement producing companies and their concrete manufacturing departments, as well as large construction companies and federal agencies (CEMEX, APASCO, CRUZ AZUL, ICA, INCASA, CFE, SCT, etc.). They establish quality control for their aggregates and therefore for their concrete. However, these represent only 10-15% of the total work in the country. For the second case, which represents 85-90% of the total work in Mexico, the quality of the aggregates, mostly of alluvial origin, is determined mainly by economic, empirical criteria and by omission, where those involved in most cases are unaware of the importance of knowing the morphology of the particles, the granulometric distribution and the mineralogical composition of these aggregates in relation to the mechanical properties and the economy of the concrete generated with these materials.