Val. Breguncci et al., Gold recovery from alkaline cyanide solutions by electrochemical elution of strong-base anionic polymeric resins, MIN MET PR, 18(1), 2001, pp. 49-53
This work presents experimental results for the recovery of gold present in
alkaline cyanide solutions by using the electroelution technique of strong
-base anionic polymeric resins IRA 402-CL from Rhom and Haas-Brazil Ltd. lo
aded with gold. This technique of electroelution of anionic polymeric resin
s is based on the removal of metal ions adsorbed to the resin, resulting fr
om a potential difference applied between the cathode and anode in an elect
rolytic cell. The electrolytic cell was composed of an aqueous solution wit
h suitable chemical characteristics and an anionic polymeric resin bed load
ed with gold. The resin used in the experiments was loaded using synthetic
alkaline gold cyanide solution with 1.0 g/L of gold. The variables studied
were electroelution time, cathode current density, distance between cathode
and anode and the electrolyte chemical composition. Statistical methods ma
de it possible to establish the optimum conditions that would achieve satis
factory gold recoveries by the electroelution technique. The statistically
predicted response for the resin loaded with gold by percolation was 16.5%
gold recovery, 2.0 A/m(2) cathode current density, 20-mm distance between e
lectrodes and 6.0 hrs electroelution time. For the centrifuging system, the
statistically predicted response was 7.41% gold recovery under the followi
ng conditions: 0.25A/m(2) cathode current density,1-mm distance between ele
ctrodes, 3.5 hrs electroelution time and 10.9% NaOH in the electrolyte chem
ical composition.