Refining of Precious Metals is a challenge, because of their association with numerous impurities, making Precious Metals feed very complex. In nature and in metallurgical operations, Precious Metals can combine with many other metals and chemical elements. They can form complex compounds, needing to be decomposed in order to recover the metals. Otherwise Precious Metals yields are affected. If you are processing Precious Metals and want to optimize processing, ask an expert to help.
Anode Slimes collecting Precious Metals in Copper, Lead and other Base Metal Eletcrolytic Refineries, is an example of complex Precious Metals Concentrate. Silver, Gold and PGM’s are present as Tellurides or Selenides, and complex compounds.
Also Copper and Bismuth can give problems. If not processed properly, Precious Metals losses and processing times and costs will be excessive.
If you are processing Anode Slimes and want to optimize
processing, ask an expert to help. Also the recovery of Rhodium should be checked.
Attention must be paid to Selenium, Tellurium and Bismuth.
These Special Metals are accompanying Precious Metals and
they are extracted during Precious Metals Refining. Their market value justifies a specific processing allowing to concentrate and to recover Special Metals. They are used as high purity compounds in new technological applications, such as Photo Voltaic Solar Pannels.
In particular the price of Tellurium culminated a few years ago at usd 300 per kg, close to the price of Silver. If you have Selenium, Tellurium and Bismuth, ask an expert to help optimizing their recovery.
Patrick Weerts is a Consultant in Processing of Precious & Minor Metals
Patrick earned his Master in Mining Engineering at the Catholic University of Louvain, Belgium, in 1979.
He was Head of the Pyrometallurgical Precious Metals Refining Operations at the Hoboken Plant of Umicore Precious Metals Refining in Belgium.
Patrick joined Sidech in 2005 and helped them to become MCP Group, one of the largest
processors of Minor Metals worldwide, acquired by 5N Plus in 2011.
Patrick left 5N Plus in 2014. He is happy to help companies optimizing their Precious Metals
Processing Operations, and recovering Minors Metals Bismuth, Tellurium, Selenium, .. technically and commercially.