The effect of tetrathionate on the anodic process of gold thiosulfate leaching.

The mechanism that tetrathionates retarded gold dissolution during the anodic process of gold thiosulfate leaching was studied with the help of electrochemical and spectroscopic techniques. The results show that the reduction in gold dissolution did not originate from the increase of a passive layer on the surface. When the gold electrode was controlled at 0.25 V, the topography of the gold surface and element composition in the tetrathionate‐supplemented solution is not easily distinguishable from that in the thiosulfate solution. The addition of tetrathionate in the thiosulfate solution reduces gold dissolution. This phenomenon is caused by the decrease in thiosulfate concentration at the gold interface. And the gold interface composition was also changed due to the presence of tetrathionate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]