Gold Recovery by Carbon Adsorption
Gold recovery by carbon adsorption is a process used to recover gold that has been dissolved in a liquid. The process is based on the principle that carbon has a high affinity for the precious metal. Gold is preferentially dissolved in a liquid containing the carbon. The carbon is then separated from the liquid by adsorption and the gold is then recovered from the carbon by further chemical processing.
This recovery process works best when the gold is in the form of finely divided particles in a solution. The gold can either be in the form of dissolved metal or as metal salts such as gold chloride or fluorite. The process begins by passing a liquid containing the gold through a column containing activated carbon. The carbon attracts the gold to it, and the gold is then adsorbed onto the surface of the carbon. After the liquid has passed through the carbon, the gold has been adsorbed onto the carbon and is ready to be recovered.
The carbon with the gold adsorbed to it is then eluted with a solution containing a strong base such as sodium hydroxide or ammonium hydroxide. This step separates the gold from the carbon by displacing the gold off the surface of the carbon. As the solution containing the base passes through the column, the gold is dissolved in the liquid and is carried off with it. The gold is then recovered by further chemical processing.
The gold recovery process by carbon adsorption is simple, cost effective and provides excellent results. It requires minimal equipment and is particularly effective at recovering very fine particles of gold. This makes it an ideal choice for gold recovery from leach solutions, industrial waste and ore processing solutions. The process has been used successfully in a range of industrial processes for many years and provides excellent results in terms of gold recovery.
