Mechanical activation and electrolysis of gold from goldsmith's waste

Abstract

The intensification of the thiourea leaching of gold from goldsmith's waste (Košice, Slovakia) using mechanical activationas the pretreatment step. The leaching of “as-received“ sample in an acid thiourea solution resulted in 77 % Au dissolution, aftermechanical activation 98 % of the gold was leached during 120 min. The activation was performed in an attritor using variable millingtimes. The physico-chemical changes in the waste as a consequence of mechanical activation had a pronounced influenceon the subsequent gold extraction. Maximum recovery of gold was reached behind 60 minutes at optimum conditions of electrolysis.

Keywords

• waste
• gold
• mechanical activation
• leaching
• electrolysis