Recovery of gold ions from thiosulfate solution using an electrogenerative process

Abstract

Traditional zinc powder cementation method for recovering gold ions from thiosulfate solution has the disadvantages such as high consumption of active metal, surface passivation, and co-deposition of copper ions. The key to solving these issues is providing the necessary electrons for the reduction of Au(S₂O₃)₂^3- while avoiding direct contact between zinc powder and the leaching solution. In this study, a novel electrogenerative device with ion exchange membranes separating the anode and cathode is developed for the recovery of gold ions from thiosulfate solution. The oxidation reaction of zinc electrode occurs in the anode chamber, while the reduction reaction of gold ions occurs on a platinum electrode in the cathode chamber. The optimal experimental conditions for the gold recovery are determined to be using a cation exchange membrane, with the anode solution of 0.08 M ZnSO₄, pH = 6, and the cathode solution of 0.10 M Na₂S₂O₃, 5 mM CuSO₄, 0.5 M NH₃·H₂O, pH = 10, with an initial gold concentration of 10 mg/L. It obtains the gold recovery of 99.59 %. Compared the zinc powder cementation method with the similar gold recovery, the electrogenerative process reduces zinc consumption by 67 % and prevents the passivation on the zinc surface caused by copper, oxygen, and sulfur.