Development of a gold leaching reagent as an alternative to cyanide: Synthesis and performance evaluation

• A novel gold leaching reagent synthesized from sodium cyanate, sodium hydroxide, and sodium ferrocyanide achieves high leaching rates (87.56% for roasted gold concentrate, >90% for electronic waste) as a safer alternative to cyanide. • The reagent exhibits excellent selectivity for gold over other metals, reducing co-dissolution and simplifying downstream recovery. • Synthesis conditions (mass ratio 15:3:1, 600°C, 1 h) are optimized, and the effective component is identified as sodium isocyanate. • This development addresses the toxicity and safety concerns of cyanide, offering a promising eco-friendly solution for gold extraction from ores and electronic waste.