# How Much Activated Carbon Do You Need for Gold Recovery? A Practical Guide > Source: https://www.yelicarbon.com/blog-how-much-activated-carbon-for-gold-recovery.html Initial charge, carbon concentration, regeneration losses and make-up — a practical way to size your gold plant's activated carbon requirements. **By the YELI Technical Team** · Updated August 2026 · 7 min read "How much activated carbon do I need?" is one of the first questions every gold plant asks — whether you are designing a new CIL circuit, expanding an existing one, or simply trying to budget next year's consumables. There is no single number, but there is a reliable way to estimate it. This guide walks through the four numbers that matter. ## 1. The Carbon Concentration in Your Circuit Most CIP and CIL circuits operate with a carbon concentration of roughly **10–25 g of carbon per litre of slurry** (10–25 kg per cubic metre of tank volume). The right point in that range depends on your ore grade, leach kinetics and whether gold is loaded in a separate carbon-in-column (CIC) circuit. A common starting design point is around 15–20 g/L. Once you know your total tank volume (in litres) and your target concentration, the initial charge is simple: **Initial carbon charge (kg) = total circuit slurry volume (L) × carbon concentration (g/L) ÷ 1000** Example: 4 tanks × 800 m³ each = 3,200 m³ = 3,200,000 L. At 15 g/L, the initial charge is about **48 tonnes**. At 25 g/L it rises to 80 tonnes — a real budgeting difference, which is why the design concentration is worth getting right. ## 2. Carbon Density and Tank Loading When you order carbon, remember it is bought by weight but installed by volume. Gold-grade coconut shell GAC typically has a bulk density around 0.45–0.52 g/cm³ (450–520 kg/m³). That means one tonne occupies roughly 2 m³ of settled bed. Check the density of the grade you buy — it affects both freight cost and how much you physically fit into a vessel. ## 3. Regeneration Losses and Make-Up Tonnage Carbon does not disappear — but it does degrade. Every pass through screening, pumping, elution and the regeneration kiln grinds away a little material, and fines that escape the screens carry adsorbed gold with them. Typical operating experience is **5–15% make-up carbon per month** of the total in-circuit inventory, depending on carbon hardness, circuit design and how aggressively the plant regenerates. This is where hardness pays for itself. On a 50-tonne in-circuit inventory, the difference between 5% and 10% monthly make-up is 2.5 tonnes of carbon per month — roughly 30 tonnes a year. At current gold-grade GAC prices, that is a six-figure annual line item on a mid-size plant. ## 4. Specific Consumption Per Tonne of Ore For planning and budgeting, plants often track **carbon consumption per tonne of ore milled**. Depending on grade, grind, regeneration efficiency and hardness, consumption commonly falls in the range of **0.05–0.3 kg of make-up carbon per tonne of ore** (50–300 g/t). A 2,000 t/day plant at the middle of that range uses roughly 100–150 tonnes of make-up carbon per year. Track your own number for six months — it is the single most useful figure for negotiating supply contracts, because it converts directly into annual spend. > Buy carbon on consistency, not on the best number in a brochure. If the hardness or iodine drifts between batches, your consumption climbs silently — and your budget is the first thing to notice. ## Putting It Together: A Quick Worked Example - Circuit volume: 3,200 m³ → initial charge ≈ 48–64 t at 15–20 g/L - Monthly make-up at 7%: ≈ 3.5–4.5 t/month - Annual make-up: ≈ 42–54 t - Plus a strategic spare of 1–2 containers held at port or mine That is a practical annual carbon program for a mid-size West African CIL plant — and a good basis for a supply agreement with firm pricing and guaranteed batch consistency. ### Need Help Sizing Your Carbon Program? We supply gold-grade coconut shell GAC (6×12 mesh, iodine 1000–1300, hardness ≥98%) factory-direct from our plant in Longyan, China — with a COA on every batch and bulk pricing for annual programs. Tell us your circuit volume and we will work through the numbers with you. Request a Quote → (https://www.yelicarbon.com/contact.html#quote-form) ## FAQ: Carbon Consumption for Gold Recovery How much activated carbon does a gold plant need? + It depends on circuit size, ore grade and carbon losses. A mid-size West African CIL plant (around 1,000–2,000 tpd) typically holds 30–40 tonnes of carbon and needs roughly 5–10% of inventory as monthly make-up — so about 1.5–4 tonnes of new carbon per month. See the worked example in this guide for the full calculation. What is the carbon concentration in a CIL circuit? + Most CIL circuits run 15–25 g of carbon per litre of pulp (roughly 15–25 kg/m³), depending on gold grade and retention time. The initial charge is usually set at the design concentration, then maintained with routine make-up as carbon is lost to attrition, elution and gold-room losses. How much carbon is lost per tonne of ore processed? + Typical carbon consumption is 30–100 g per tonne of ore treated, driven by attrition (fines), elution losses and gold-room handling. A harder coconut-shell GAC keeps consumption at the lower end — a 2% hardness difference can mean nearly a tonne of make-up carbon a year in a 2,000 tpd plant. How do I calculate my monthly make-up carbon? + Track your carbon inventory monthly: measure losses to fines, elution and gold room, and replace what is lost to hold your design concentration. If you don't have data yet, budget 5–10% of inventory per month and adjust after the first few months of operating data. Standing monthly resupply from one supplier keeps the grade consistent. ### Related reading - Gold CIP/CIL Grade Activated Carbon — Full Specification (https://www.yelicarbon.com/product-gold-cip-cil.html) - Why Coconut Shell Carbon Dominates Gold CIP/CIL Plants (https://www.yelicarbon.com/blog-gold-cip-cil.html) - Gold Carbon Specifications: What to Check Before You Buy (https://www.yelicarbon.com/blog-gold-carbon-specs.html) - Activated Carbon Dosage in CIL Plants (https://www.yelicarbon.com/blog-activated-carbon-dosage-cil-plant.html) - Activated Carbon Price per Ton 2026 (https://www.yelicarbon.com/blog-activated-carbon-price-per-ton.html) - Gold Carbon Supply for Mali (https://www.yelicarbon.com/activated-carbon-mali.html) - Gold Carbon Supply for Burkina Faso (https://www.yelicarbon.com/activated-carbon-burkina-faso.html) Browse all activated carbon products & request a quote → (https://www.yelicarbon.com/products.html)