Capillary electrophoretic analysis of sulfur and cyanicides speciation during cyanidation of gold complex sulfidic ores

A capillary electrophoretic protocol for the separation and quantification of the most important species potentially liberated during the cyanidation of gold sulfide‐rich ores was accomplished in this study. The separation of 11 ions: S₂O₃^2–, Cu(CN)₃^2–, Fe(CN)₆^4–, Fe(CN)₆^3–, SCN^–, Au(CN)₂^–, Ag(CN)₂^–, SO₄^2–, OCN^–, SO₃^2–, and HS^– was achieved using an indirect UV detection method. The robustness of the analytical protocol was tested by analyzing ions speciation during the cyanidation of two gold sulfide‐rich ores. The 1‐h cyanidation of the two ores released up to six complexes into solution: S₂O₃^2–, Cu(CN)₃^2–, SCN^–, Fe(CN)₆^4–, OCN^–, and SO₄^2–. The mineralogy of the ore was found to influence directly the nature and the amount of the dissolved species. Conserving the cyanidation solution for 72 h after sampling resulted in 96% total sulfur recovery. These results allow us to conclude that the analytical protocol developed in this study can become very useful for the optimization of precious‐metals cyanidation plants.     

Determination of free cyanide and zinc cyanide complex by capillary electrophoresis

A capillary electrophoretic (CE) protocol was developed for the separation and quantification of free cyanide and zinc cyanide complex, two key species in gold cyanidation of zinc-bearing sulfidic ores. Several common carrier electrolytes were implemented in an indirect UV detection method. The effect of electric field strength, injection volume, concentration of electro-osmotic flow (EOF) modifier and UV-absorbing agent in background electrolyte (BGE) was examined while peak height, peak area and noise were considered for optimization. The best results were obtained using a BGE that contained 35 mM sodium chromate, 12 mM free cyanide and 0.45 mM hexamethonium bromide at pH 10.5. Free cyanide concentration was compared to that measured with the conventional silver nitrate titration method in solutions containing free cyanides and weak cyano-complexes. The developed CE protocol proved very robust in capturing the concentration of free cyanides (4% error) unlike the titration method which exhibited substantial sensitivity to the interfering weak cyano-complexes (38% error).     

Four related diethyl [(arylamino)(4‐ethynylphenyl)methyl]phosphonates

Crystal structures are reported for four related diethyl [(arylamino)(4‐ethynylphenyl)lmethyl]phosphonate derivatives, namely diethyl [(4‐bromoanilino)(4‐ethynylphenyl)methyl]phosphonate, C₁₉H₂₁BrNO₃P, (I), diethyl ((4‐chloro‐2‐methylanilino){4‐[2‐(trimethylsilyl)ethynyl]phenyl}methyl)phosphonate, C₂₃H₃₁ClNO₃PSi, (II), diethyl ((4‐fluoroanilino){4‐[2‐(trimethylsilyl)ethynyl]phenyl}methyl)phosphonate, C₂₂H₂₉FNO₃PSi, (III), and diethyl [(4‐ethynylphenyl)(naphthalen‐2‐ylamino)methyl]phosphonate, C₂₃H₂₄NO₃P, (IV). The conformation of the anilinobenzyl group is very similar in all four compounds. The P—C bond has an approximately staggered conformation, with the aniline and ethynylphenyl groups in gauche positions with respect to the P=O double bond. The two six‐membered rings are almost perpendicular. The sums of the valence angles about the N atoms vary from 344 (2) to 351 (2)°. In the crystal structures, molecules of (I), (III) and (IV) are arranged as centrosymmetric or pseudocentrosymmetric dimers connected by two N—H...O=P hydrogen bonds. The molecules of (II) are arranged as centrosymmetric dimers connected by C_methyl—H...O=P hydrogen bonds. The N—H bond of (II) is not involved in hydrogen bonding.