Abstract The paper presents the attempts of acid and alkaline solubilization of the power plant ashes, using different chemical reagents, at different concentrations. Due to the mineralogical content of these ashes, was elaborated a technological flow for the recovery the iron minerals, resulting an ferrous concentrate containing noble metals. For their recovery from ferrous concentrate, were studied properties of gold, silver and platinum, the conclusion being that these chemical elements can be extracted, in economic conditions, with sodium hypochlorite.