Why is low-grade silver scrap commonly sent to a smelter instead of treated by cyanidation?

Low-grade silver scrap is sent to a smelter rather than treated by cyanidation because the latter is considered uneconomic for silver. While cyanidation is a standard method for extracting gold from low-grade materials, the significantly lower market value of silver makes the costs associated with the cyanide process prohibitive for low-grade silver scrap. Consequently, smelting remains the preferred method for processing such materials.12