GOLD AND SILVER ELECTRORECOVERY FROM THIOSULFATE LEACHING SOLUTIONS

摘要

The present invention pertains to the mining industry and to the processing of minerals and materials containing gold and silver. More specifically, it relates to a method for recovering gold and silver from copper thiosulphate solutions by a self-sustaining electrolytic process. The advantages of the present invention over the prior art are that it is faster than cementation with copper, without using electric current. The claimed method is characterised in that it is performed in a self-sustaining electrochemical cell in which the anode and cathode are short-circuited; and the anode and cathode compartments are separated by an ion exchange membrane. Moreover, the provision of a copper anode and the use of a stripping solution as the anolyte allow soluble copper levels to be kept stable, thus preserving the leaching power of thiosulphate solutions, and allowing them to be recycled in a new leaching step.