CHARACTERIZATION AND STOICHIOMETRY OF THE CYANIDATION REACTION IN NAOH OF ARGENTIAN WASTE TAILINGS OF PACHUCA, HIDALGO, MÉXICO

The argentian resources of Pachuca, Hidalgo, México have suffered an extensive exploitation, resulting in more than 100 million tons of waste tailings located in several sites around the city of Pachuca and surrounding municipalities. Chemical, mineralogical and granulometric characterization of the waste tailings of Pachuca, Hidalgo, México, was carried out in this work. Characterization results indicate that these argentian wastes contain 56 g Ag ton?1 contained in a quartz matrix, where silver is present as metal, as argentite and as argentian jarosite. Stoichiometry of the cyanidation reaction in NaOH media was analyzed, and the following was found: 1) Quick cyanidation of metallic silver, 2) Quick cyanidation of argentite, 3) Alkaline decomposition of argentian jarosite, 4) Quick cyanidation of the decomposition products of argentian jarosite.