How does the cyanide process dissolve silver from ore?

The cyanide process extracts silver from ore by dissolving the metal in a dilute solution of sodium or potassium cyanide. This dissolution occurs in the presence of oxygen or peroxides, which facilitates the formation of the highly stable dicyanoargentate ion, $[Ag(CN{)}_2{]}^{-}$.123

The overall method involves three primary stages:

• Contacting: The ore is finely ground and brought into contact with the cyanide solution to allow the chemical reaction to take place.1
• Separation: Once the silver has dissolved into the solution, the remaining solid ore materials are separated from the liquid.1
• Recovery: The precious metal is recovered from the solution, often through chemical precipitation using zinc dust.1

This process is highly effective because the resulting dicyanoargentate complex is exceptionally stable, allowing the silver to be successfully isolated from the ore mixture.3