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How is mercury recovered for reuse after gold amalgamation?

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A worker in safety gear walks beside a conveyor belt carrying ore at the Tanami gold mine in the arid, expansive landscape of the Tanami Desert. — gold processing The Tanami gold mine, Northern Territory, Australia.

In the process of gold amalgamation, mercury is recovered for reuse through a distillation process. After the gold-mercury amalgam is separated from the barren ore and cleaned of impurities via filtration and washing, it is placed into a sealed retort.1

Inside this retort, the amalgam is heated to a temperature sufficient to vaporize the mercury. This mercury vapor is then distilled off and condensed back into its liquid phase, allowing it to be collected and reused in future operations.1

It is essential to emphasize that because mercury poisoning poses severe risks to both human health and the environment, the use of carefully designed, sealed equipment is a moral and practical necessity to prevent the release of toxic vapors and ensure safe handling during this recovery process.1