METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR EXTRACTING AND REFINING GOLD FROM ORES

A process and system and for extracting and refining gold from ores using relatively benign and inexpensive chemicals, fewer process steps, and permitting the recycling and re-use of process chemicals. The invention is preferably implemented as a two part process. In a first part process, gold is extracted fr om the ore and dissolved in a chemical solution to form a gold complex. The chemica l solution preferably includes a KI and I2. Optionally, Isopropyl alcohol is mixed with the KI and I2 to serve as an accelerant. In a second part process, the comp lex is reduced to gold from the solution, preferably by one of two methods. The firs t method precipitates the gold complex by washing and decomposing of the gold complex to form pure gold. The second method electrolytically plates the gold fr om the gold complex solution onto a cathode to obtain pure gold.