# Using Hydrogen peroxide in ore



## Aeon13 (Nov 5, 2016)

Good day to all!

I just want to ask a question about Hydrogen peroxide used on ground ore.


Some miners here in our place are using Hydrogen peroxide on ground ore for the purpose of leaching 

any copper on the ore. After this they put Sodium cyanide to leach silver and gold.


They basically mix ground ore with lime in the vat leach. Then they put hydrogen peroxide with water and 

after some time, they let go of the solution as waste. Finally, they put cyanide and water 

for the leaching. 


I searched the internet and this forum about using such method but found nothing. I just found that 

Hydrogen peroxide can dissolve copper. 

And this is the reason why I am curious :

1. if this method is effective in general in vat leaching.

2. I want to confirm from you guys if the only metal that will be dissolved from the Hydrogen peroxide 

leach will be copper.

3. at 30% concentration, What volume of Hydrogen peroxide will be diluted with water for a ton of ground 

ore?



Any comment and suggestion will be highly appreciated. 

Thanks and more power to all.


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## butcher (Nov 5, 2016)

Hydrogen peroxide by itself would not really leach copper, but it is a great oxidizer providing oxygen to another leach like cyanide which needs the oxidizer...


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## Aeon13 (Nov 5, 2016)

butcher said:


> Hydrogen peroxide by itself would not really leach copper, but it is a great oxidizer providing oxygen to another leach like cyanide which needs the oxidizer...



Thanks butcher. I read that sulfuric acid with hydrogen peroxide would leach copper out of ores. 

Then adding Hydrogen peroxide on the cyanide leach is the proper way. They throw away the hydrogen peroxide leach here and then put the cyanide. I guess what they are doing is wrong then.


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## upcyclist (Nov 7, 2016)

Aeon13 said:


> butcher said:
> 
> 
> > Hydrogen peroxide by itself would not really leach copper, but it is a great oxidizer providing oxygen to another leach like cyanide which needs the oxidizer...
> ...


Yup. Hobbyists use it to etch copper circuit boards as well. Just remember that sulfuric acid & hydrogen peroxide is also often called 'piranha', because it will eat your flesh!


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## Aeon13 (Nov 8, 2016)

> Yup. Hobbyists use it to etch copper circuit boards as well. Just remember that sulfuric acid & hydrogen peroxide is also often called 'piranha', because it will eat your flesh!




:shock: Worst compared to nitric acid?Made me curious though.


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