The Basic Principle for Desorption

After the active carbon has adsorbed the gold in the cyanide solution, the gold
on the surface of the gold-loaded carbon in the cyaniding system and the one in
the cyanide solution have established a reversible balance condition. And when
the gold-loaded carbon desorbs, the similar balance condition also happens on
it. When CN or OH is added to the desorption system, because these
anions are more likely to be adsorbed by active carbon, and then they will
replace the adsorbed Au(CN)2 out, the reversible balance for gold adsorption
is destroyed, and forwards to the direction against gold adsorption. That is
desorption for gold. Its desorbing process is as follows:

Desorption Mechanism for Gold

It can be regarded that desorption gold from coals is essentially as far as

possible to destroy the balance of the active carbon adsorption, making the
process to go against the direction of the adsorption gold. Thus increasing
cyanide concentration, temperature, pressure or adding organic solvent all can
help desorbing gold from the activated carbon.

However, increasing the cyanide concentration, the alkalinity and adding

organic solvent will boost the production cost while increasing the temperature
and pressure is more economic and remarkable.

When the pressure is increased to 0.5 MPa, the temperature can be up to 150
C and the gold desorption speed under this circumstance is faster several
times than that under ordinary pressure.

The Basic Principle for Electrolysis

The liquid acquired from desorbing gold-loaded carbon contains gold
undoubtedly, and the gold can be retrieved through electrolysis. Because no
other new materials mix into the electrolytic solution, a pure gold deposit can be
obtained, and this will facilitate the process in next step. So, this method is used
by most gold mine.

The gold exists in desorption liquid as (CN) 2 . During the electrolysis process,
the cathode separate out gold, silver and a small amount of copper and so on,
together with hydrogen due to the water reduction. The oxygen separated out
from the anode carries out the ion oxidation with hydrogen and creates carbon
dioxide and nitrogen.

Main chemical reaction as follows:

The cathode reaction:

The anode reaction:

The main solution reaction:

Experimental research shows that: under normal conditions, the major
processes during the gold electrolysis depends on the speed of Au(CN)2
diffusing to the cathode surface. The gold deposition rate is controlled only by
mass transfer process, and its electrolytic efficiency can be indicated with the
following formula:

Log(CO/C1)=KmtS/2.3F

In formula: Km=P/- mass transfer coefficient; P-discharge particles (Au (CN) 2

) diffusion coefficient; -the thickness of diffused layer; CO-the original
concentration of gold; Ct-the gold concentration after electrolysis; T-electrolytic
time; S-cathode surface area.

It can make the electrolyte conductive rate advance if the electrolyte

temperature is raised, which makes the gold cyanide ions or discharge particle
(CN) Au 2 diffuse faster and reduce the dissolution of oxygen in electrolyte
and competitive current reaction. Therefore, with the electrolyte temperature
rising, the gold deposition speeds up and its deposition efficiency is also
improved.

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