Gold cyanates

Gold ores can also be treated with potassium cyanide (KCN) or some other kind of cyanide. The gold combines with the cyanide to form a new compound, gold cyanate. The gold cyanate is then treated with an active metal, such as zinc. The active metal replaces gold in the compound, leaving pure gold. 

Derivation Ore is treated with cyanide solution, and the dissolved gold cyanate is recovered by precipitation with zinc dust or aluminum or by hydrolysis. Placer methods are also used. 

A precipitate, explosive when touched after drying, which appeared from a neutralised solution stood overnight with a large excess of potassium cyanate, was described as a fulminate. This is unlikely, though fulminating gold is probable, cyanate hydrolysing to release ammonia (see above). Existence of explosive cyanate complexes is also conceivable. 

See other GOLD COMPOUNDS See related METAL CYANATES... 

Sodium cyanide solution dissolves certain metals (I) with absorption of oxygen, e.g.. gold, silver, mercury, lead, and (2) with evolution of hydrogen, e.g.. copper, nickel, iron. zinc, aluminum, magnesium and solid sodium cyanide, when heated with certain oxides, e.g.. lead monoxide PhO. stannic oxide SnO.. yields the metal of the oxide, e.g.. lead. tin. respectively. and sodium cyanate NaCNO. Two classes of esters arc known, cyanides or nitriles, and isocyanides, isonitriles or carbylatnincs. the latter being very poisonous and of marked nauseating odor... 

The adsorption of cyanate ions was studied on silver [113, 135] and gold electrodes. A bipolar band can be observed for adsorption on a silver electrode [135] (Fig. 45). Corrigan and Weaver [135] have attempted a deconvolution of this band after observing that the intensity of the positive-going part was lower than expected... 

Cobaltaie(l -), dodecacarbonylirontri-, tetraethylammonium, 27 188 Cobaltate(l -), dodecacarbonylirontri-, (triphenylphosphine)gold(l -(-), 27 188 -------, dodecacarbonylrutheniumtri-, tetraethylammonium, 26 358 Copper, (acetonitrile)dodecacarbonyltrico-balt ruthenium-, 26 359 Crystal growth, 26 377 Cyanate, tungsten complex, 26 42 Cycloheptatriene, molybdenum complex, 27 4... 

Environment Australia 1998). They are common constituents in waste streams at gold mines that use oxidative processes to destroy excess cyanide. Cyanate is commonly measured by ... 

While the majority of transition metal photocatalysts are based upon ruthenium and iridium complexes, similar intermolecular cyanation reactions can also be accomplished using gold-based transition metal photocatalysts. 

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