Abstract: A process for recovery of one or more elements, selected from precious metals and chalcophile metals as herein defined, from materials containing precious and/or chalcophile metal/s, said process including: (i) a leaching step comprising contacting the material with an acidic solution containing a lixiviant comprising an aqueous amino acid-thiourea compound formed from an amino acid (as herein defined) and thiourea (as herein defined), in order to form a leachate containing the precious metal and/or chalcophile metal; and (ii) a recovery step comprising recovering the precious metal and/or chalcophile metal from the leachate.

Abstract: A process for recovery of one or more elements, selected from precious metals and chalcophile metals, as herein defined, from materials containing precious and/or chalcophile metal/s, said process including: (i) contacting the material with an alkaline solution containing a lixiviant comprising an amino acid, or derivative thereof, and an alkali stable transition metal complex in order to form a leachate containing the precious metal and/or chalcophile metal; and (ii) recovering the precious metal and/or chalcophile metal from the leachate.