Enhanced cementation of gold via galvanic interactions using activated carbon and zero-valent aluminum: A novel approach to recover gold ions from ammonium thiosulfate medium

摘要

In gold (Au) hydrometallurgy, ammonium thiosulfate is the most attractive and promising alternative to conventional lixiviants like cyanide or the halides because it is non-toxic, less corrosive and has high selectivity for Au. However, its industrial-scale application for Au extraction is still severely limited because the recovery of dissolved Au from pregnant solutions remains challenging. The present study proposes a novel, simple and effective technique to address this difficulty using zero-valent aluminum (ZVAl) and activated carbon.