STTR Phase I: In Situ Cyanide Monitoring in Gold Mine Effluents

This Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I project addresses the unmet analytical needs for monitoring cyanide leaching of gold, a process widely used in the mining industry to refine gold ores. The goal is to establish the feasibility of sensors that permit the selective measurement of free and complexed cyanide in the cyanide leach reactor, detoxification reactor, and in the tailings facilities. The sensors are ideally suited for these measurements since they are expected to be unaffected by turbidity, to have a cyanide selectivity that can be tuned with specific receptors, and to require no off-stream sample handling. The project will take advantage of highly selective and fouling-resistant fluorous perfluoropolymer membranes.
The broader/commercial impact of this project, if successful, is significant, as it is expected to reduce the enviromental harm resulting from the mining industry's mineral recovery. Specifically, the research aims to significantly reduce the amount of toxic cyanide use. More effective control of cyanide usage is expected to minimize accidental cyanide discharges significantly and thereby, reduce resulting negative impact on the environment.