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- Title
Gold in the Electrorefining of Copper and the Decopperizing of Copper Anode Slimes.
- Authors
Chen, T. T.; Dutrizac, J. E.
- Abstract
Most by-product gold comes from the processing of copper refinery anode slimes that are generated during the electrorefining of copper anodes. In the copper anodes, the gold occurs in solid solution in the copper crystals. During electrorefining, the copper dissolves and the associated gold is released. Some of the gold reports as tiny metallic gold particles in the anode slimes. The gold shows a strong affinity for the selenide phase, and some of the metallic gold nucleates on the selenide particles. Some gold also appears to dissolve in the sulfate electrolyte, possibly because of the presence of chloride and thiourea. The dissolved gold subsequently precipitates as a minor constituent of a complex oxidate phase and reacts to form a solid solution in the selenide phase and a discrete Ag-Au-Cu selenide phase. Decopperizing of the anode slimes concentrates the gold as metallic gold and an Ag-Au selenide phase (Ag3AuSe2). The metallic gold shows a strong affinity for selenium, and the Ag-Au selenide phase appears to form during decopperizing, becoming prevalent under high-temperature and pressure-leaching conditions. Also, the silver selenide phase becomes enriched in gold.
- Subjects
WASTE products; GOLD; SLIMES (Mining); COPPER crystals; SELENIDES
- Publication
JOM: The Journal of The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society (TMS), 2004, Vol 56, Issue 8, p48
- ISSN
1047-4838
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1007/s11837-004-0182-7