| abstract |
Metals are rendered analyzable, extractable or recoverable from materials, such as complex or refractory ores, by applying shear deformation forces to the materials. The shear deformation forces are generated by methods such as mechanical attrition. Through this process, the precious element-bearing amorphous colloidal silica and other fractions of these ores are reformed and crystallized into what are essentially nanophase materials that show a change of chemical, mechanical, and thermodynamic properties as compared to their original natural state. During or after this transformation, the precious element content of these ores may be reduced to a recoverable state and/or analyzed or detected. |