EXTRACTION OF GOLD

Aim:
1. Extraction of gold using thiosulphate solution
2. Observing the effect of temperature, thiosulphate
concentration, ammonia concentration, copper ions
concentration and stirring speed on the extraction.
3. Optimizing the reaction by testing other catalysts.
Theory:
Gold is extracted by amalgamation and by leaching with cyanide
solutions, both toxic chemicals, harmful to workers in the plant and
the environment. Over the past years, there has been much focus
on researches aimed at discovering alternatives to replace mercury
and cyanide in gold extraction. Thiosulphate is one potential
replacement for the toxic chemicals used. Itisknownthatthiosulphateisa
metastablespeciesthatreadilyundergoesdecompositioninaqueoussolutions.
Ammoniaisaprerequisiteforthiosulphateleachingofgold,asitsabsencemakes
goldpassivebythebuildupofSulphurcoatingonthesurfaceasaresultof
decompositionofthiosulphate.Ammoniaadsorbsontothegoldsurfacepreferentially
overthiosulphateforminggoldamminecomplextherebyreducingthepassivation.
Thegoldamminecomplexinteractswiththiosulphateforminggoldthiosulphate
complexasshownbelow:
+ 2 3
Au(NH3)2 +2S2O3 =Au(S2O3)2 +2NH3

Copperionsactasacatalystforgolddissolutioninammoniacalthiosulphatesystem.
Therearefewreportsintheliteratureoncopperionactivationofgolddissolutionin
ammoniacalthiosulphatesystem.Copperionsreadilyformcupricamminecomplex

Cu(NH3)42+withammoniawhichtheninteractswithAuforminggoldammine
complex.

Au+Cu(NH3)42+=Au(NH3)2++Cu(NH3)2+
Materials and reagents:

Sodiumthiosulphate(Na2S2O35H2O)

Ammoniawater(28%NH3)

Cupricsulphate(CuSO45H2O)

Threeneckedflask
Magneticstirrer
Thermometer
Beakersandburette
Clampstand

Method:
Thegoldoremustbecrushedintosmallerparticlesandcharacterized.
Measure300gofthegroundgoldoreandmixitwith750mlofammoniacal
thiosulphateleachantinabeakerthentransferthemixtureintothethreeneckedflask.
Keepthesolidssuspendedbymeansofamagneticstirreratthespeedof400rpm.
Useoneofthenecksoftheflaskforthethermometerandtheotheroneforcollecting
sampleforanalysisatregulartimeintervals.
Theconcentrationofthemixturemustbekeptat40%atalltimes.

Examine the yield of the experiment by adjusting the following

parameters of the experiment.
1. Experiment time:
Maintain concentration of ammonia and thiosulphate, the
percentage of the suspension and the speed of the stirrer
constant. Then observe the experiment over a period of time
starting from 10 minutes after the beginning at an interval of
15 minutes until after 12 hours with intervals of 1 hour after
an hour from the beginning of the experiment, 2 hours after 8
hours and the hours from the 8th to the 12th hour.
 2. Thiosulphate:
Maintaining the ammonia concentration (1M), vary the
thiosulphate concentration (0.1-1M).
3. Copper:
Maintain the ammonia and thiosulphate solution and vary the
copper ion concentration (0.0001-0.01).
4. Ammonia:
Maintaining the thiosulphate and copper ion concentration
(0.5M and 0.001M), vary the concentration of ammonia
between 1-3M.
5. Temperature:
Vary the temperature between 10 to 50 degrees Celsius while
maintaining ammonia, copper and thiosulphate concentrations
constant.
6. Solid concentration:
Vary the concentration of the ore in the leachant between
20% and 60% while maintaining other parameters at optimum
levels.
7. Rotation speed:
Maintain all other parameters at optimum and vary the
rotation speed from 200rpm to 600rpm.
Record all results in different tables and represent the data on
graphs.

Ammonia solution;