Efficient Processing And Utilization Of Precious Metals Scrap

A hydroelectrochemical technology has been proposed and experimentally proven for processing metallic gold- and silver-containing concentrates on the basis of copper and copper alloys obtained as a result of preliminary physico-mechanical upgrading of electronic scrap. The proposed technology is based on hydroelectrochemical leaching of scrap using reversible electric current and diluted nitric acid solutions, containing complexing agents, permitting complete separation of gold from the nonferrous matrix without involving gold in the process, and dissolving copper, zinc, lead and tin virtually without any emission of nitrose gases.