Iodine leach for the dissolution of gold

摘要

A process for the hydrometallurgical recovery of gold from materials containing gold comprising leaching the materials with a lixiviant containing iodine. To a solution concentrated with natural salts is added elemental iodine until saturated, whereupon mineral sulfides in the ore zone charged with this solution react with the iodine to form iodide. Additional elemental iodine is then added to this iodide-bearing solution until the desired concentration of total iodine and ratio of iodine to iodide are achieved for optimum leaching. The lixiviant is then circulated through the ore zone until all the gold is dissolved. Gold is subsequently recovered on activated charcoal. The excess iodide formed during the process is reoxidized to iodine electrochemically in a special diaphragm cell to regenerate the lixiviant.