Abstract

Traditional hydrometallurgical gold and silver extraction involves a 48-hour cyanide process (using Sodium Cyanide) followed by the seven-day Merrill-Crowe cementation and smelting process. This research explores alternative methods. Firstly, a simultaneous oxidation-cyanidation process in a pressurized reactor achieved 95% gold and silver recoveries within 90 minutes. Secondly, for metal recovery, an innovative Electrocoagulation (EC) technology was employed. EC eliminates the need for expensive reagents and effectively treats low-concentration solutions, such as those from heap leaching. The EC reactor demonstrated 98% gold and silver recovery in 10 minutes with 99% current efficiency. This study presents a promising, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly approach to gold and silver recovery.

Keywords:Gold and silver extraction; Cyanidation; Mineralization; Metals; Electrocoagulation technology