Electrochemical removal of dissociable cyanides

• Main Authors: LABRIE JACQUES, MENARD HUGUES
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 10.01.2012
• Subjects: CHEMICAL MATERIALS FOR USE IN BREATHING APPARATUS; CHEMICAL MEANS FOR EXTINGUISHING FIRES OR FOR COMBATING ORPROTECTING AGAINST HARMFUL CHEMICAL AGENTS; CHEMISTRY; CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION ORPROCESSING OF GOODS; FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS ALLOYS; FIRE-FIGHTING; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; HUMAN NECESSITIES; LIFE-SAVING; METALLURGY; PRETREATMENT OF RAW MATERIALS; PRODUCTION AND REFINING OF METALS; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS; TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINSTCLIMATE CHANGE; TREATMENT OF ALLOYS OR NON-FERROUS METALS

The method of the invention provides means of destroying highly stable metal cyanide ions found in a solution, and converting the cyanide to harmless by-products. Contrary to conventional methods which merely complex the cyanide into a mechanically or physically removable complex, the present method destroys the cyanide found in the sample. The invention is directed to a method of destroying cyanide comprising providing a highly alkaline solution containing a metal cyanide ions; and subjecting the solution to electro-oxidation.