The adsorption of gold on activated carbon from thiosulfate-ammoniacal solutions

Abstract

The adsorption of gold on activated carbon in ammoniacal thiosulfate solution was studied. The variables affecting the adsorption of gold on the carbon included, among others, temperature, concentrations of ammonium hydroxide and thiosulfate, and those of accompanying cations and anions. The apparent activation energy for the adsorption process was estimated to be 19.4 kJ/mol, and this value indicates that the gold adsorption is film diffusion-controlled. It was also found that the rate of initial adsorption rate was fast, when compared to that of the overall adsorption process.