SBIR Phase II: Rapid Detection of Cyanide

Deltanu, Llc, Laramie WY

Investigators

Abstract

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II Project will result in the development of two detection systems utilizing Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) capable of rapidly measuring the concentration of cyanide, a highly toxic substance used in large quantities in the extractive metals industry. A portable system will be well suited for use in the field for on-site measurements of cyanide for environmental compliance monitoring. An automated system will be useful for the measurement of cyanide levels in process control of precious metal extractive processes, and in monitoring wells for environmental compliance. Current methods of cyanide analysis give either the total amount of cyanide present in all forms, or that of free cyanide in combination with cyanide in weak acid dissociable (WAD) metal complexes. Our method of cyanide determination will be markedly superior to these methods because it will yield the concentration of free cyanide in addition to that of WAD cyanide. This has very important practical and economic implications for the precious metals extractive industries (e.g., gold and silver mining), since it is free cyanide which is of importance in optimizing metal extraction efficiency, and it is free cyanide which is the species of primary interest from an environmental regulatory standpoint.