Cyanide destruction process

Abstract From the Canadian patent

There is provided a continuous process for destruction of cyanide in a solution or a slurry which has unacceptably high levels thereof, such as those resulting from cyanidation of gold or silver ores. The process provides for continuously feeding the solution or slurry into a suitable vessel under agitation, introducing pure SO2 into such vessel at such a rate as to controllably maintain the pH between 7 and 9 and also adding copper sulphate at such a rate as to reduce the cyanide concentration in the effluent from the vessel to an acceptable level.