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Thiosulfate has been considered as one of the most promising of the non-toxic alternatives to cyanide for the leaching of gold and much work has been carried out with the aim of understanding and improving the ammoniacal thiosulfate leaching process. In particular the behaviour of gold in thiosulfate solutions containing copper in the absence of ammonia has received little attention. It has been shown in this study involving electrochemical and leaching tests that copper ions catalyze not only the oxidation of thiosulfate but also the dissolution of gold in alkaline thiosulfate solutions. Electrochemical studies have shown that copper has a positive effect on the anodic dissolution of gold with increasing concentrations of copper resulting in higher dissolution rates of gold at a potential of 0.3?V. Studies on the dissolution of gold powder in alkaline oxygenated thiosulfate solutions containing low concentrations of copper have shown that the role of copper in enhancing the dissolution rate of gold is possibly associated with the formation of a copper-thiosulfate-oxygen intermediate which is more reactive in terms of cathodic reduction than dissolved oxygen. The electrochemical experiments have been complemented by a leaching study which has shown that milling of gold powder in the presence of copper (added as ions, metal, or oxide) assists with the dissolution of gold in thiosulfate solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The anodic dissolution of gold in alkaline thiosulfate solutions has been studied by using a rotating gold disc. Experimental results have shown that the gold dissolves at measurable rates in thiosulfate solutions at potentials above 0.2 V. It has been confirmed that dissolution occurs in parallel with oxidation of thiosulfate with a dissolution current efficiency that varies with time and with the experimental conditions and which is generally in the range of 0.3 to 0.6. Although oxygen could be used as an oxidant for gold in the thiosulfate system, the rate of the cathodic reduction of oxygen in the relevant potential region is too slow for practical purposes. It was found that in the potential region investigated, thiosulfate ions undergo oxidative decomposition leaving a sulfur-like film on the surface of gold, which inhibits the rate of dissolution of gold and results in a low anodic current efficiency for the dissolution of gold. The factors (temperature, pH, thiosulfate concentration and ammonia) have been found to have positive effects on the kinetics of gold dissolution. The rates of gold dissolution in oxygenated alkaline thiosulfate solutions have been estimated to be much lower than in the copper–ammonia–thiosulfate and cyanide systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]