Silver Precipitation Using Sodium Dithionite in Cyanide Media
The nature of the reaction and the main parameters affecting Ag precipitation rate in the system Ag+-CN--S2O4(2-) are studied. From the results obtained, a process of chemical precipitation for Ag recovery is proposed, using an environmentally-friendly reducing reagent (sodium dithionite, Na2S2O4), leaving a residual content of Ag into the permitted environmental levels (<5 mg L-1 Ag). The levels of CN- in liquids wastes are of the order of 0.816 mol L-1, and they can be treated by ozonization processes for inerting cyanide. The results obtained indicate that Ag precipitation is achieved in less than 1 hour, with recoveries close to 99%, at room temperature. Silver precipitation is characterized by an induction period followed by a precipitation period, leaving a metal amount in solution less than 1 mg L-1. The main kinetic parameters studied lead to obtain the following apparent reaction orders: with respect to the initial [S2O4(2-)] was n = 1.675, with respect to [CN-] was -1.24, with respect to [OH-] was ≈0 (between 10-4 and 10-2 mol L-1) and with respect to the initial [Ag+] was 0.524. An activation energy of 77 kJ mol-1 was obtained. Under these conditions, Ag precipitation in the system Ag+-CN--S2O4(2-) is controlled by chemical reaction, characterized by high activation energy, and is independent of the hydrodynamic variables of the system.
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Digital revista |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Sociedad Química de México A.C.
2012
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| Online Access: | http://www.scielo.org.mx/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1870-249X2012000200013 |
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