recovering gold from sodium cyanide.?

[Samjane]

Help, Hello all this is my first post
We recover gold from scrap electronics by submersion into sodium cyanide solution.
we then send away to a subcontractor refiner the solution loaded with gold for recovery.
I'm interested in the methods used to recover the gold from the solution, I've looked on line without any joy as I don't know the correct technical terms to look for thanks in advance for any help regards Sam

 

[jason_recliner]

I've never handled cyanide. But here's a search I made for you. It's yours, for free.
http://goldrefiningforum.com/phpBB3/search.php?keywords=sodium+cyanide+drop+gold+zinc

 

[goldsilverpro]

What oxidizer are you using along with the sodium cyanide? Hydrogen peroxide? Ludigol (m-NBSS)? What? Are you using a proprietary stripper? If so, what brand?

 

[anachronism]

Sam

I can give you some help with that, using some processes I use already. I have dropped you a PM.

Jon

 

[FrugalRefiner]

We'd really prefer you share your advice on the open forum so that others may benefit and we can confirm your process. Providing refining advice via PM has always been discouraged.

Dave

 

[anachronism]

Surely that depends on whether proprietary and commercially developed processes are involved Dave. I trust you take a different view on that basis?

Edit:

Given the above, you have two main options. One is to use an electrowin cell, the other is to use a carbon tower setup. The outlines of these have been described very eloquently by Deano. I'm not entirely sure how many people on here have taken the frameworks mentioned and developed them into working processes but I am happy to provide some pointers.

You can also use a recirculating leach system which constantly strips the gold whilst recovering it using one of the methods mentioned above, thereby retaining your original working leach solution whilst recovering the gold on an ongoing basis. This may be a suitable vehicle for what you are trying to achieve, with the benefit of not employing a third party to recover your values.

I hope that helps.

Jon

 

[Lino1406]

There are several answers. For example, Zn powder, Al powder/foil... ref:"30 and more recovery procedures"

 

[jeneje]

We'd really prefer you share your advice on the open forum so that others may benefit and we can confirm your process. Providing refining advice via PM has always been discouraged.

Dave

It is not so much for others to benefit from as it is to check such a process to make sure correct advice is given. Cyanide in any form is extremely dangerous and should be handled correctly. This forum has many, many members that can give the right advice without using PM's.

Dave, you are right this type of advice needs to be aired in open forum.

Ken

 

[anachronism]

They've already processed the base material in cyanide. That's pretty reasonable to assume Ken that, as they do it for a business in the UK, they understand the risks given the strict legislation we are governed by.

They are asking how to recover the values from the pregnant solution. This is a completely different scenario.

 

[jeneje]

They've already processed the base material in cyanide. That's pretty reasonable to assume Ken that, as they do it for a business in the UK, they understand the risks given the strict legislation we are governed by.

They are asking how to recover the values from the pregnant solution. This is a completely different scenario.

I understand what they are asking. My point here is, if they fully understood the process they were using --they would not need to ask how to recover the Au from it.

So, with this said, the OP needs help. This help needs to come from someone who really understands the process from start to finish and is willing to post about it here on this thread to get him/her through it safely. That is all i am saying. PM-ing someone is like saying look i will help but, I don't want anybody to know. That tells me you DO NOT fully understand the process yourself.

Ken

 

[anachronism]

So sending someone a PM means I don't understand it. OK.

 

[jeneje]

So sending someone a PM means I don't understand it. OK.

Yep, pretty much, that is what It means. If you understand the process, post the procedure so it can be checked by the chemist here.

Ken

 

[anachronism]

If you're talking about the cell and the carbon. I've already made posts about them. I must admit that not liking the tone of where this is going Ken.

 

[jeneje]

If you're talking about the cell and the carbon. I've already made posts about them. I must admit that not liking the tone of where this is going Ken.

I don't care weather you like it or not Jon. The truth is, you should not be offering anybody advice by PM's when they post a question on open forum asking for help. So, to be perfectly clear here, post the procedure that is needed to help the OP, or quit posting this BS trying to pick an argument.

Ken

 

[anachronism]

I'm not trying to pick an argument here Ken, you're the one being combative and calling me out. I'm not biting any further because somehow I'll end up being the antagonist regardless of what I say or do.

Jon

 

[jeneje]

I hope the OP will wait for one of the moderators or chemist's here to post the proper procedure before trying to finish the extraction process so he/she want get hurt or worse killed.

anyway, good luck and be safe.

Ken

 

[nickvc]

To be fair I can see Kens point of view as it's always good to have processes posted for critical review, but I know Jon knows what he is talking about, much of the information has been posted by Deano,it's just few have bothered to follow his advice or learn from a true master of the art of recovery.
So let's stop the bickering and let the true purpose of the forum carry on, refiners helping one another, the use of cyanide is not a recommended process as it's hard to obtain, with good reason, and it's use is generally only for professional refiners/ recoverers who have the needed safety procedures and equipment plus the licences needed.
I can help and so can others if I or they feel the OP is in the right position to follow what is advised and has the necessary knowledge to do so safely, certain cyanide strippers are hard to impossible to get to precipitate, assays and patience are always needed.

 

[4metals]

We have been very fortunate on this forum that Deano from Downunder has been generous enough to post from his vast life experiences concerning leaching of ores (and e-scrap) and recovering the gold from the leach process.

Often this involves cyanide. Maybe it is time for us to reconsider cyanide as a leach for e-waste and discuss it's safe handling and waste treatment. I know I am not alone amongst the professional refiners on this forum in realizing the benefits of cyanide for this application but we have hesitated because of it's inherent danger when mishandled. It is however a real and viable solution for the materials a lot of our members refine. So for one, I think this warrants an open and thorough discussion to re-visit our hesitation to discuss cyanide.

But this goes deeper than cyanide and beyond the writings of this forum and the bickering about ancient history will stop immediately. It has no place on this forum.

I do know that Jon has taken the time to painstakingly follow Deano's threads and apply it to e-waste and extract the gold using methods presented in threads that Deano has posted. Because of this, and his experience working this system, he is quite qualified to comment on removing the gold from cyanide solutions.

A brief summary of the methodology Jon is using, while he has posted it before, would be useful here to get this thread back on track.

 

[Barren Realms 007]

We have been very fortunate on this forum that Deano from Downunder has been generous enough to post from his vast life experiences concerning leaching of ores (and e-scrap) and recovering the gold from the leach process.

Often this involves cyanide. Maybe it is time for us to reconsider cyanide as a leach for e-waste and discuss it's safe handling and waste treatment. I know I am not alone amongst the professional refiners on this forum in realizing the benefits of cyanide for this application but we have hesitated because of it's inherent danger when mishandled. It is however a real and viable solution for the materials a lot of our members refine. So for one, I think this warrants an open and thorough discussion to re-visit our hesitation to discuss cyanide.

But this goes deeper than cyanide and beyond the writings of this forum and the bickering about ancient history will stop immediately. It has no place on this forum.

I do know that Jon has taken the time to painstakingly follow Deano's threads and apply it to e-waste and extract the gold using methods presented in threads that Deano has posted. Because of this, and his experience working this system, he is quite qualified to comment on removing the gold from cyanide solutions.

A brief summary of the methodology Jon is using, while he has posted it before, would be useful here to get this thread back on track.

I would have to agree with you on the fact that it might be time to bring this more out into the open for discussion. I see a couple of problems or concerns about doing this.

#1 The language barrier and making sure that the process is understood correctly when it is translated into another language.

#2 Someone half ass reading the description of the process and not following it the correct way.

#3 Some doing like we see a lot of posts where a member has a number of different containers and not knowing what is in each one and they just go pouring everything together into one container.

#4 Making sure you have the proper facility and equipment to do this process

#5 Follow the safety measures.

#6 Be prepared if you screw up or something happens that you did not plan on happening and you walk into a dangerous situation. Always stay aware of your surroundings inside and outside.

 

[4metals]

Barren,

While I agree with all 6 of your precursors for discussing cyanide, they are actually also precursors for handling concentrated acids used in aqua regia refining and that is discussed openly.

I cannot see letting members who practice good refining practices and read and familiarize themselves with procedures before jumping in be limited in their refining knowledge by those who are careless and sloppy.

My biggest concern is the spent solutions being mishandled.