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Hydrometallurgical gold recovery processes play a pivotal role in the gold mining industry, contributing to more than 90% of global gold production. Among the array of techniques available, the Merrill–Crowe process, adsorption, ion exchange, and solvent extraction are central in extracting gold from leach solutions. While the Merrill–Crowe process and gold complex adsorption onto activated carbon represent historical cornerstones, their inherent limitations have prompted the emergence of more recent innovations in ion exchange and solvent extraction, offering enhanced selectivity, control, and sustainability. The evolution of modern organic chemistry has significantly influenced the progress of ion exchange technology, mainly through the introduction of advanced polymer matrix synthetic resins. At the same time, novel solvents tailored to gold complex interactions have revitalized ion exchange and solvent extraction. Introducing ionic liquids and deep eutectic solvents has also added a new dimension to efforts to improve gold extraction metallurgy. This paper reviews these cutting-edge developments and their potential to revolutionize the hydrometallurgical gold recovery process, addressing the pressing need for improved efficiency and environmental responsibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Optimization of the acid leaching process for Mongolian apatite-based ore containing rare-earth elements (REEs) was studied. The ore contained approximately 10% of REEs as total rare earth oxides, and the major impurities were Ca (33% as CaO) and Fe (23% as Fe2O3). Fe bearing minerals could be removed by passing the sample through a wet high-intensity magnetic separator before leaching. After magnetic separation, basic leaching tests were conducted to investigate the influence of the acid type and concentration, temperature, and the pH on the REE leaching level and kinetics. Hydrochloric acid was found to be the most effective leaching agent, leaching more than 90% of REEs in an hour. However, the concentrations of Ca ions in the leachate were also high, which would complicate recovery of the REEs. Therefore, to reduce the amount of Ca ions in the leachate, a two-stage leaching procedure was attempted. In stage 1, the sample was preleached using 1.0 M hydrochloric acid to dissolve Ca. In stage 2, the solid residue of stage 1 was leached using 2.0 M hydrochloric acid to dissolve REEs. Consequently, this two-stage leaching significantly reduced the Ca concentration in the final leachate without affecting the leaching levels of REEs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rare earth elements (REEs) are of great importance to modern society and their reliable supply is a major concern of many industries that utilize them in metal alloys, semiconductors, electrical equipment, and defense equipment. REEs in the coal waste have been revealed to be an alternative resource for REEs production. In this study, the extraction, recovery, and upgrading of the REEs from coal waste has been realized with the bioleaching and precipitation processes. Reliable and sustainable acid and oxidant production from the oxidation of the pyrite with Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans to generate acid for leaching were realized in this research. The acidified bioleaching solution was used to extract REEs from coal waste, with 13–14% yields for most REE elements (~72 h of leaching). However, recovery for longer duration tests was significant higher (varies from 40–60% for individual REEs). After extraction, precipitation and separation processes were designed with the aid of Visual Minteq calculations and modeling to concentrate the REEs. With the procedures designed in this research, a final REEs precipitate product containing 36.7% REEs was produced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]