Abstract
The theoretical substantiation for the proton clustering process during electrochemical and photochemical processing of technological solutions is provided in the paper. This process provides a significant increase in the efficiency of leaching of gold from refractory ores. It was proposed that the chemical processes in aqueous solutions occur not only due to electronic (interelectronic) interactions, but also as a result of proton-electron interactions. The hypothesis is substantiated. Proton-electron interactions play an important role in the destruction and formation of chemical bonds between the solvent and the solute, as well as between dissolved substances. Compounds with a polymer-like structure can be formed during the electrolysis of aqueous solutions of different reagents, containing oxygen dimers (O-O). Hydrated cluster shell of active water molecules is formed around these polymer-like compounds. A metastable region of clustered protons is formed. Water-gas emulsion is formed during electrolysis and irradiatin with UV light. Highly active oxidants such as atomic oxygen, superoxide radical ion, ozone, and hydroxyl radical are synthesized in the gas bubbles. These compounds intensify protonation processes during hydration. The results of experiments on column activation leaching of dispersed gold from large-volume sample of refractory ore from the Pogromnoye deposit prove the validity of the theoretical substantiations.
Highlights
The development of the mineral resource base of precious metals is mainly associated with the large-scale processing of ores with dispersed mode of occurrence in the crystal lattice of host minerals.The recovery of such mode of occurrence of precious metals from mineral raw material requires the use of complex multistage mineral processing and hydrometallurgical schemes
Due to the depletion of the mineral resource base of precious metals, namely the development of deposits that are amenable to preliminary concentration of high-grade ores, with relatively simple mining conditions, it is objectively required to develop technologies for extracting dispersed forms of gold and platinum group metals from low-grade refractory ores and technogenically transformed mineral raw materials
When complexing agents dissolve in such an active aqueous medium, proton-electron clusters presented in their hydration shells change the character and energy of the collective electron shells of precious metal clusters in a mineral medium
Summary
The development of the mineral resource base of precious metals is mainly associated with the large-scale processing of ores with dispersed mode of occurrence in the crystal lattice of host (associated) minerals.The recovery of such mode of occurrence of precious metals from mineral raw material requires the use of complex multistage mineral processing and hydrometallurgical schemes. The formation of ionized and radical reaction-active centers of water clustering can be provided by various methods of processing aqueous solutions of the initial reagents, but the most acceptable of them for practical use are electrolysis, photolysis, and their combination [2,3].
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