Method for thiosulfate leaching of precious metal-containing materials

摘要

A process for recovering a precious metal from a precious metal-containing material, comprising:

(a) providing a particulate precious metal-containing material;

(b) contacting the precious metal-containing material with a thiosulfate lixiviant and a calcium-containing material;

(c) after the contacting step, forming the precious metal-containing material into agglomerates, wherein the agglomerates comprise particles of the precious metal-containing material, thiosulfate lixiviant, and calcium-containing material;

(d) forming the agglomerates into a heap; and

(e) thereafter passing the thiosulfate lixiviant through the heap to form a pregnant leach solution in which at least most of the precious metal content of the precious metal-containing material is dissolved.