N. Acarkan et al., THE ROLE OF PROTECTIVE ALKALINITY AND CA2+ IONS IN THE CYANIDATION OFREFRACTORY SILVER ORES, Hydrometallurgy, 36(3), 1994, pp. 361-367
The effect of protective alkali on the extraction of silver from refra
ctory ores, taken from the Kutahya-Gumuskoy region of Turkey, and the
behaviour of dissolved Ca2+ ions during cyanidation were investigated.
It was shown that high concentrations of protective alkali are benefi
cial in the cyanidation of these ores, in contrast to gold cyanidation
where they prohibit gold dissolution. Calcium ions are advantageous i
n the cyanidation of sulphidic silver ores since they prevent the detr
imental effects of ions which hinder silver dissolution and consume CN
- ions. Using high concentrations of protective alkalis decreases the
cyanide consumption.