A theoretical study of the carbon in pulp process for gold recovery

Ab initio calculations have been carried out on systems that represent a model of the processes which occur in the recovery of gold by the carbon in pulp process. Using the hydrocarbon coronene as a model of graphitic carbon it has been shown that: (a) a positively charged ion such as calcium must be present for adsorption of gold to occur; (b) if copper is present in the liquor it will exclude the recovery of gold; and (c) ions such as chloride are not bound to the calcium–coronene complex because of an electron correlation effect