Question

In isolation of which one of the following metals from their ores, the use of cyanide salt is not commonly involved?

• A. Zinc
• B. Gold
• C. Silver
• D. Copper

Answer 1

The Correct Option is D

To determine which metal's extraction does not commonly involve the use of cyanide salts, we must understand the methods commonly employed in the extraction of the given metals: Zinc, Gold, Silver, and Copper.

1. Gold: The cyanidation process, also known as leaching, is widely used in extracting gold from its ores. This involves dissolving gold using a cyanide solution.
2. Silver: Similar to gold, the extraction of silver from its ore often involves the cyanide process, known as the MacArthur-Forrest process.
3. Zinc: While zinc extraction does not primarily use cyanide, in some rare instances, cyanide solutions might act as depressants in flotation processes. However, this is not common for zinc extraction itself.
4. Copper: Copper extraction generally does not involve cyanide salts. The predominant methods are pyrometallurgy (including smelting and converting) and hydrometallurgy (including leaching with sulfuric acid for oxide ores or bioleaching for sulfide ores).

Given the above explanations, the use of cyanide is not common in the extraction of copper. Therefore, the correct answer is that copper does not typically involve cyanide salts in its extraction.