The invention provides a process for removing
cyanide from a
cyanide-bearing aqueous fluid, the process comprising: (i) adding a
solid composition comprising a first mixed-
metal cyanide complex comprising
copper and iron to a cyanide-bearing aqueous fluid comprising free cyanide and
metal-complexed cyanide, wherein at least a portion of the first mixed-
metal cyanide complex dissolves, with complexation of the
copper by the free cyanide, to produce an
aqueous solution comprising cyanometallates, the cyanometallates comprising
copper cyanide and
iron cyanide complexes derived from the first mixed-metal cyanide complex; (ii) contacting the
aqueous solution with an anion-exchange absorbent to absorb the cyanometallates, thereby producing a cyanide-lean aqueous fluid; (iii) extracting the anion-exchange absorbent comprising the absorbed cyanometallates with at least one non-acidic aqueous extractant to produce an
aqueous extract comprising the copper cyanide and
iron cyanide complexes; and (iv) acidifying the
aqueous extract to produce a precipitate comprising a second mixed-metal cyanide complex comprising copper and iron.