Abstract: The disclosure relates to desorption of gold or silver from particulate materials and in particular to a composition for use in separating gold or silver from particulate material on which it is adsorbed, which comprises a homogeneous phase mixture of aqueous solvent having dissolved therein at least 20% by volume of polar organic solvent or mixture of polar organic solvents selected from ketones containing up to 5 carbon atoms and, preferably, nitriles containing up to 3 carbon atoms, said solvent mixture containing from 0.1% by weight to saturation of a water soluble inorganic cyanide or thio cyanate salt which produces free cyanide or thio cyanate ions in water.The invention also provides a method of separating gold or silver from particulate materials on which the gold is adsorbed, where the particulate material is eluted with a composition in accordance with the present invention at a temperature in the range from 10.degree. to 50.degree. C.

Abstract: The invention relates to an electro-chemical cell having an electrolyte comprising water, a halogen other than fluorine, a halide other than fluoride, which is not oxidized by the halogen as a soluble salt, and a stable, saturated, organic nitrile or dinitrile containing from 2 to 5 carbon atoms or a mixture thereof, said electrolyte being composed such as to exist in two phases, a first phase being halogen and nitrile-rich and a second phase being water-rich and containing halide salt, the cell having an inert electrode in the halogen and nitrile-rich phase and an electrode, containing or contacting halogen oxidizable material, in the water-rich phase. The electro-chemical cell of the invention is particularly applicable to systems containing zinc as the halogen oxidizable material.The use of the nitrile-rich phase reduces the degree of reaction between the halogen and the halogen oxidizable material.

Abstract: Cuprous (Copper (I)) chloride is an intermediate for the production of copper metal concentrates. A method of purifying copper salts and particularly cuprous chloride is disclosed which involves utilizing the solubility of cuprous chloride and other copper salts in a mixture of water and acetonitrile of 2-hydroxycyanoethane or acrylonitrile and the ability of cuprous chloride to precipitate when the organic component of the mixture is distilled off. The electrolysis of cuprous chloride in water containing at least 10 grams per litre of copper (I), acid and between 5% and 50% by volume of a water soluble organic nitrile such as acetonitrile or 2-hydroxycyanoethane is also disclosed.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of controlling acid soluble iron while obtaining solutions of copper (I) salts in water containing an organo nitrile (selected from the group consisting of acetonitrile, 2-hydroxycyanoethane, acrylonitrile and propionitrile) from materials containing copper and iron compounds, said solutions having a low iron content, which method comprises leaching the material with a solution of copper (II) salt in water containing the selected organo nitrile, the amount of nitrile present being sufficient to stabilize the resulting copper (I) solution and the pH of the mixed solution being controlled in relation to the relative concentrations of the copper (II) salt, copper (I) salt and nitrile to ensure that the iron compounds are not significantly soluble therein, and then separating the copper (I) solution from the insoluble materials.

Abstract: Cuprous sulphate solutions, suitable for thermal or electrochemical disproportionation to yield copper, are obtained by dissolving copper sulphites, such as Chevreul's salt or cuprous ammonium sulphite, in acetonitrile-water or 2 hydroxycyanoethane-water mixtures, preferably in the presence of cupric sulphate. This discovery is capable of a number of applications, one of which is the recovery of copper from chalcopyrite by the following five steps. An oxidizing roast of chalcopyrite such as to produce either cupric sulphate and/or copper oxide, leaching of cupric sulphate from the calcine, precipitation of Chevreul's salt and/or other copper sulphites with a soluble salt of sulphurous acid, including bisulphites, dissolution of the copper sulphite as cuprous sulphate, using cupric sulphate in an acetonitrile-water solution as oxidant; precipitation of pure copper by thermal disproportionation of the cuprous sulphate solution. Acetonitrile and acidic cupric sulphate solution may be recycled.