amalgamation

OBS: Le minerai finement broyé et mis en pulpe passe sur une couche de mercure pour former un amalgame. Cet amalgame donne, après un procédé pyrométallurgique, l'or et l'argent sous forme libre.
OBS: À cause de son effet néfaste sur l'environnement et de son taux de récupération relativement bas, le procédé d'amalgamation a été remplacé par la cyanuration.

CONT: Several metallurgical processes are used to extract silver from ores of other metals. In the amalgamation process, liquid mercury, which forms an amalgam with the silver, is added to the crushed ore. After the amalgam is washed out of the ore the mercury is removed by distillation, leaving metallic silver.
OBS: The ore is crushed and treated with mercury, in which the metal dissolves. The amalgam is heated and the mercury evaporates, leaving pure gold or silver. The process has been criticized as an environmental and occupational threat due to the extreme toxicity of mercury.

CONT: La amalgamación industrial puede tener uno de los dos objetos siguientes: extraer el oro o la plata de su ganga; combinar el mercurio con otro metal para formar una aleación.