| 摘要 |
<p>An apparatus and method for elution by convection of an adsorbed material, such as gold adsorbed in activated carbon. The convection elution apparatus comprises a vessel (26) provided with a top screen (28) and a bottom screen (30) defining a compartment (32) therebetween within which the activated carbon is retained during the elution process. A plurality of heating elements (36) mounted in the bottom of vessel (26) are provided to heat the fluid contained in the vessel so as to produce a convection current therein. A centrally located convection passageway or chimney (40) is arranged to direct the flow of fluid driven upwards by convection in a substantially vertical direction parallel to the walls of the vessel (26). Convection chimney (40) extends through the carbon compartment (32), and is provided with a plurality of openings (42), adjacent its lower end allowing the flow of eluent fluid in a heating chamber (44). As the fluid contained in the heating chamber (44) is heated, it is driven up the chimney (40) by convection, flows over the edges of the chimney outlet (46) through an electrowinning cell (50) and down through carbon compartment (32), where it leaches through the carbon to effect the process of gold elution. The electrowinning cell (50) comprises an anode (52) and cathode (54) housed within the vessel (26) for recovering the gold and/or other adsorbed substances from the eluent fluid. The vessel (26) is preferably pressurized and a solution reservoir (26) provided external to the vessel controls the pressure within the vessel.</p> |
