Regularities of gold anodic dissolution in thiocarbamide solutions

It is shown that the gold dissolution in thiocarbamide electrolytes containing sulfide ions in the pH range from 1 to 4 proceeds with a current efficiently of almost 100%, and a change in solution acidity has a weak effect on the process. The oxidation of thiocarbamide to formamidine disulfide proceeds at the potentials around 1.1 V and depends on the pH of solution. When the pH value is raised, the thiocarbamide oxidation potential shifts in the negative direction and approaches the potential of gold dissolution. It is found that, in the absence of catalytically active species, the gold dissolution rate in thiocarbamide solutions in the pH range from 6 to 10 is vary low. At these pH values, as well as in the acidic solutions, an addition of less than 10⁻⁴ M sulfide ions to thiocarbamide electrolyte accelerates the gold dissolution at the potentials about 0.6 V. It is shown that sulfide ions in the concentration above 10⁻⁴ M inhibit the process. At pH 11, the gold dissolution proceeds also with no special addition of sulfide ions. This is associated with the formation of sulfide ions as a result of accelerated decomposition of thiocarbamide and formamidine disulfide with increasing pH value. It is found that in the pH range from 12 to 13, the processes of gold dissolution and thiocarbamide oxidation are inhibited as a result of the formation of passive film on the electrode surface. Probably, the film consists of elemental sulfur.