Process for electrochemically recovering precious metals from or

Details Process for electrochemically recovering precious metals from or Process for electrochemically recovering precious metals from or

1976-08-16

1979-02-13

Andrews, R. L.

Chemistry: electrical and wave energy

Processes and products

Electrostatic field or electrical discharge

204130, C25C 120

Patent

active

041394321

ABSTRACT:
An electrochemical process for rapidly achieving the recovery of precious metals such as gold and silver from their ores. The ore is formed into a slurry and combined with an electrolyte such as sodium cyanide and an alkaline substance such as sodium hydroxide to increase alkalinity to at least 0.01 equiv./liter. The ore slurry and electrolyte are placed in a recovery apparatus in direct touching contact with closely spaced large area anodic and cathodic electrodes, preferably spaced apart by a distance of about 1 cm. or less. A voltage is applied to the electrodes to produce a current density in the slurry of about 10 to 20 amperes per square meter, and the slurry is agitated to provide diffusion of the ore grains into electrical contact with the electrodes to promote precious metal dissolution. The agitation further transports precious metal complexes to the cathode where the precious metal is electrolytically precipitated and the complexing agent freed for further electrolytic dissolution of the precious metal. The foregoing process and recovery apparatus markedly improve the rate of recovery of precious metals from their ores, reducing recovery times in some instances to less than 10 minutes from the 3 to 24 hours required in conventional cyanidation processes for comparable precious metal extraction.

REFERENCES:
patent: 61866 (1867-02-01), Rae
patent: 3673061 (1972-06-01), Kruesi
patent: 3836443 (1974-09-01), MacGregor
Bureau of Mines, R.I. 7023, 9/67, pp. 2-3, R. L. Andrews et al.

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