Experimental Study on Mercury Removal from Cyanide Leaching Solution of a Mercury Containing Gold Mine by Sulfide Precipitation Method

The high concentration of mercury in the leaching solution of a certain mercury containing gold mine results in the generation of mercury vapor during subsequent processes such as zinc powder replacement and gold mud smelting, which seriously pollutes the workshop environment and damages the health of workers. Therefore, a study was conducted on the removal of mercury from the cyanide leaching solution of this gold mine using the sulfurization method. pH condition tests, molar ratio tests of CN− to S2−, and reaction time condition tests were conducted successively. The optimal pH for treating the cyanide leaching solution of this mercury containing gold mine using the sulfurization method was determined to be 10, the molar ratio of CN− to S2− was 50:1, and the reaction time was 30 min. Ultimately, a mercury removal rate of over 99% was achieved, avoiding gold loss while reducing silver loss.