Gold Extraction And Cyanide Leaching

Another popular method of gold extraction is through cyanide leaching. Cyanide leaching is the most popularly used process for gold extraction in the world today. However it is highly controversial because of its poisonous properties and is banned in several countries.

In the process of cyanide leaching, gold extraction plants keep a high amount of cyanide antidote on hand in the event of an accident or spill, so the process is relatively safe and effective in reality. In the 1980s, gold mining equipment became cost-inhibitive to the mining process, because low grade ores were becoming more economical. In oxidized ore, gold wasn’t trapped within the rock, allowing cyanide to be poured over the rock, extracting the gold. This created a better financial means for effectively mining gold.

Mercury used to be part of the gold extraction process, but isn’t popular any longer because of its negative health effects and even more poisonous properties than cyanide. Many illegal and small-scale operations still use this method, but it isn’t nearly as popular as it used to be. The cyanide process is effective, but can also be complicated because cyanide likes to make friends with copper. If there is copper in the ore that gold is being extracted from, it can impede or complicate the process of extraction. Pressure cooking, grinding, and roasting are other methods used in gold extraction that are less popular, but necessary when cyanide cannot be used.