Gold electrowinning from aqueous-alcoholic thiourea solutions

Laboratory investigations on the kinetics of gold electrowinning from acidi c thiourea solutions containing alcohol admixture which can be obtained by gold elution from activated carbon in the processing of gold-bearing raw ma terials have been carried out as depending on temperature, current intensit y and type of the cathode material. It has been found that a high gold reco very (96%-100%) can be obtained under suitable conditions (especially at el evated temperature of 60 degrees C). The current efficiencies in the experi mental conditions were in the range of 0.5%-1% and the energy consumption c an be less than 15 kW h kg(-1) of gold using a platinum mesh cathode. (C) 2 000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.