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The recovery of metal cyanides by ion exchange resins
Author(s)
Strangfeld, Vinzenz Klaus
Date Issued
2000
Type
Thesis
Publisher
Cape Technikon
Abstract
Cyanide is used extensively in the mining industry to leach gold and silver from their ores.
Cyanide, in the form of sodium or potassium cyanide, is added in excess to that required
theoretically due to equilibrium and kinetic considerations in the leaching step. This results in
free cyanide and various other cyanide complexes reporting to the effluent streams of these
operations In this study the removal of these species from solution by means of ion exchange
resins was investigated Equilibrium conditions, kinetic parameters and the competitive
exchange nature of the process was evaluated.
The experimental work focused on contacting the various resins individually in a batch
reactor with free cyanide, Iron cyanide and copper cyanide complexes. The
experimental data obtained was found to be well explained by the Freundlich-type multiand
single-component isotherms. Furthermore, mass transfer parameters were investigated
revealing that ceI1ain cyanide species outperform others kinetically in the ion exchange
process. During this study it was shown that ion exchange processes could be effective in
effluent clean-up of those streams containing cyanide complexes
Cyanide, in the form of sodium or potassium cyanide, is added in excess to that required
theoretically due to equilibrium and kinetic considerations in the leaching step. This results in
free cyanide and various other cyanide complexes reporting to the effluent streams of these
operations In this study the removal of these species from solution by means of ion exchange
resins was investigated Equilibrium conditions, kinetic parameters and the competitive
exchange nature of the process was evaluated.
The experimental work focused on contacting the various resins individually in a batch
reactor with free cyanide, Iron cyanide and copper cyanide complexes. The
experimental data obtained was found to be well explained by the Freundlich-type multiand
single-component isotherms. Furthermore, mass transfer parameters were investigated
revealing that ceI1ain cyanide species outperform others kinetically in the ion exchange
process. During this study it was shown that ion exchange processes could be effective in
effluent clean-up of those streams containing cyanide complexes
Additional information
Thesis (MTech (Chemical Engineering))--Cape Technikon, Cape Town, 2000
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