An analysis of the efficiency and sustainability of the thiosulfate-copper-ammonia-monoethanolamine system for the recovery of silver as an alternative to cyanidation

Furthermore, the pregnant leaching solutions were treated by cementation using a metallic copper wire and the chemical and microstructural characterizations revealed that silver was deposited on the copper wire surface. When the leaching solution is re-utilized after the cementation step in a second leaching with Ag2S, it is possible to dissolve 85% of silver. This paper presents an alternative-sustainable thiosulfate leaching system which permits the recovery of silver from metallic silver or silver sulfide at short processing times.