Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/806889

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Title
Comparative leaching of a sulfidic gold ore in ionic liquid and aqueous acid with thiourea and halides using Fe(III) or HSO₅⁻ oxidant
Author/Creator
Whitehead, J. A.;  Zhang, J.;  McCluskey, A.;  Lawrance, G. A.
Institution
The University of Newcastle. Faculty of Science & Information Technology, School of Environmental and Life Sciences
Description
The leaching of gold, silver and base metals from a sulfidic gold ore in the presence of an oxidant (peroxomonosulfate (HSO₅⁻) or iron(III)) and leaching agent (thiourea, chloride, bromide or iodide) is compared in 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hydrogen sulfate (bmimHSO₄) and chloride (bmimCl) ionic liquids, as well as in aqueous saturated K₂SO₄ as the solvent medium. Over 85% of gold and silver was recovered in the presence of HSO₅⁻/ thiourea at 25–50 °C in both bmimHSO₄ and bmimCl, with silver recovery significantly enhanced compared with that from aqueous sulfate medium. The leaching efficiency with HSO₅⁻ was similar to that with Fe(III) as oxidant in bmimHSO₄ and was far superior in bmimCl. With HSOHSO₅⁻ /halide ion (Cl⁻, Br⁻, I⁻) as leaching agent, gold and silver recovery in bmimHSO₄, bmimCl or saturated aqueous K₂SO₄ improved from Cl⁻ to Br⁻ to I⁻, but only I⁻ gave a high recovery in the bmimCl ionic liquid due to the particular stability of the iodo complex anion in this medium. However, recovery was significantly higher than in an aqueous medium. Negligible recovery of base metals occurred in the ionic liquid medium, making it highly selective for Au and Ag. Concentration dependence studies with respect to halide and oxidant have defined optimum conditions for gold and silver recovery.
Relation
Hydrometallurgy Vol. 98, Issue 3-4, p. 276-280
Publisher Link
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.hydromet.2009.05.012
Date
2009
Publisher
Elsevier
Keyword(s)
gold leaching;  silver leaching;  ionic liquid;  1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium cation;  thiourea;  halide;  peroxomonosulfate ion
Resource Type
journal article
Identifier
http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/806889
Identifier
ISSN:0304-386X
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Subject
"Hydrometallurgy"
 
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