title: Recovery of gold as a type of porous fiber by using biosorption followed by incineration.
abstract: This study introduces a new process for the recovery of gold in porous fiber form by the incineration of Au-loaded biosorbent fiber from gold-cyanide solutions. For the recovery of gold from such aqueous solutions, polyethylenimine (PEI)-modified bacterial biosorbent fiber (PBBF) and PEI-modified chitosan fiber (PCSF) were developed and used. The maximum uptakes of Au(I) ions were estimated as 421.1 and 251.7 mg/g at pH 5.5 for PBBF and PCSF, respectively. Au-loaded biosorbents were freeze-dried and then incinerated to oxidize their organic constituents while simultaneously obtaining reduced gold. As a result, porous metallic gold fibers were obtained with 60 μm of diameter. Scanning electron microscopic (SEM) analysis and mercury porosimetry revealed the fibers to have 60 μm of diameter and to be highly porous and hollow. The proposed process therefore offers the potential for the efficient recovery of metallic porous gold fibers using combined biosorption and incineration.
authors.affiliation: School of Chemical Engineering, Chonbuk National University, Jeonbuk 561-756, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Seong-In
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: In Seob
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Kwak
authors.forename: Min A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Bae
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mao
authors.forename: Sung Wook
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Won
authors.forename: Do Hyeong
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Yong Sik
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: Yeoung-Sang
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Yun
mesh_terms: D000327:Adsorption; D048230:Corynebacterium glutamicum / Q000737:chemistry*; D006046:Gold / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D017745:Incineration; D016062:Porosity; D014462:Ultrafiltration / Q000379:methods*; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D018508:Water Purification / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D014867:Water; D006046:Gold