Skip to main content
Log in

Recovering gold from thiosulfate leach pulps via ion exchange

  • Overview
  • Ion exchange
  • Published:
JOM Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Increasing environmental and occupational safety concerns about the use of cyanide in gold processing has increased interest in more acceptable alternative lixiviants, the most promising of which is thiosulfate. However, the thiosulfate process lacks a proven inpulp method of recovering the dissolved gold because activated carbon is not effective for the absorption of the gold-thiosulfate complex. This paper describes work aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of commercially available anion exchange resins for the recovery of gold from thiosulfate leach liquors and pulps.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. D.S. Flett, R. Derry, and J.C. Wilson, “Chemical Study of Thiosulfate Leaching of Silver Sulfide,”Transactions of the Institute of Mining and Metallurgy. Section C: Mineral Processing and Extractive Metallurgy, C92 (1983), pp. C216–223.

    Google Scholar 

  2. A.R. March bank et al., “Gold Recovery from Refractory Carbonaceous Ores by Pressure Oxidation and Thiosulfate Leaching,” U.S. patent 5,536,297 (15 February 1995).

  3. R.Y. Wan and K.M. LeVier, “Research and Development Activities for the Recovery of Gold from Non Cyanide Solutions” (Paper presented at the SME Conference, Salt Lake City, Utah, July 28 1993), pp. 415–436.

  4. R.M.G.S. Berzowsky and V.B. Sefton, “Recovery of Gold and Silver from Oxidation Leach Residues by Ammoniacal Thiosulfate Leaching,” presented at the 108th AIME Annual Meeting, New Orleans, Louisiana, February 18–22, 1979, pp. 1–17.

  5. K.G. Thomas et al., “Gold Recovery from Refractory Carbonaceous Ores by Pressure Oxidation, Thiosulfate Leaching and Resin-in-pulp,” U.S. patent 5,536,297 (2 February 1995).

  6. N.P. Gallagher et al., “Affinity of Activated Carbon Towards Some Gold Complexes,”Hydrometallurgy, 25 (1990), pp. 305–316.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. L.C.T Eusebius et al., “Thiosulfate as a Complexing Agent in the Separation of Cations by Anion-Exchange Chromatography,”Analyst, 105 (1980), pp. 52–59.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. J.J. Byerley, S.A. Fouda, and G.L. Rempel, “Kinetics and Mechanism of the Oxidation of Thiosulfate Ions by Copper(ll) Ions in Aqueous Ammonia Solution,” J.C.S. Dalton (1973), pp. 889–893.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Nicol, M.J., O’Malley, G. Recovering gold from thiosulfate leach pulps via ion exchange. JOM 54, 44–46 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02709221

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02709221

Keywords

Navigation