الكربون المنشط لاستخلاص الذهب

Activated carbon is crucial to modern gold recovery, especially in Carbon-in-Pulp (CIP), Carbon-in-Leach (CIL), heap leaching and Carbon-in-Column (CIC) processes. Activated carbon has a very strong capacity for the gold cyanide Au(CN)₂⁻ complex removing it by adsorbing it from cyanide leach solutions or slurries. When activated carbon is used with CIP, the leach slurry containing the separated ore is mixed with activated carbon, where the carbon can adsorb the dissolved Au(III) from the leach slurry. CIL allows leaching and adsorption to take place together in one vessel. For heap leaching applications, the gold-loaded solution that drips out from the ore heap (the pregnant solution) is normally run through a significant column of activated carbon (CIC) that adsorbs the Au(III) gold ions from the pregnant solution and allow drainage from heap to drain from excess cyanide. When this carbon is loaded with gold, it will then be extracted and the gold will be stripped (eluted) from the activated carbon using hot caustic and/or cyanide solution/or other methods and can thermally reactivate the carbon so can be used again which increases efficiency and reduces cost of processes.