Abstract: A method, and systems in which such method may be practiced, allow for the separation of elemental metals from metal alloy. A metal alloy is atomized to form metal alloy particulates. The metal alloy particulates are exposed to an oxidizing agent, such as chlorine gas in the presence of a salt, such as NaCl, an acid, such as HCl, and water. The resulting solution may be filtered to remove particulates, reduced, filtered, reduced, filtered, and so on. In aspects, the method is used to refine gold alloy by oxidation of elemental sponge gold to gold chloride followed by reduction to pure elemental gold.

Abstract: The method for treating the dust entails the following steps:(a) supplying a combination of dust, a reducing agent and flux to a gastight electrothermic smelting furnace,(b) smelting, reducing and volatilizing certain metals in the smelting furnace,(c) tapping of an inert slag phase and a liquid metal phase from the smelting furnace,(d) continuous removal from the smelting furnace of a gas phase containing chiefly CO-gas, metal fumes, sulphur, chlorides and fluorides together with entrained unreacted dust,(e) further treatment of the gas phase.The process produces an inert slag phase which can be safely deposited in a landfill. The process also allows for recovery of valuable metal components from the dust.