Methods for detecting and extracting gold
AssigneesPlacer Dome, Inc., University of Washington
InventorsClement E. Furlong, Scott Jorgenson-Soelberg, James B. Clendenning, Noel W. Kirshenbaum, Victor Chevillon, Peter Leon Kowalczyk
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Abstract
Methods for detecting gold and quantitating gold in ore samples utilizing a gold-specific protein are provided, including methods for multiple sample handling. Also provided are methods for extracting gold from mineral suspensions utilizing a magnetic mineral binding reagent and gold-specific protein, or hydrophobic reagent and gold-specific protein in conjunction with a flotation reagent.
Claims11
A method for detecting gold in at least one ore sample, comprising:
- a) obtaining an ore sample suspected of containing gold;
- b) contacting a surface of said ore sample with a gold-specific protein;
- and
- c) detecting the presence of the gold-specific protein on said surface of said ore sample;
- whereby gold is detected.
A method for detecting gold in at least one ore sample, comprising:
- a) obtaining an ore sample suspected of containing gold;
- b) contacting a surface of said ore sample with a gold-specific protein;
- c) contacting said surface with a proteolytic agent to proteolyze said gold-specific protein into a proteolytic fragment;
- and
- d) detecting said proteolytic fragment;
- whereby gold is detected.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.