Gold is often locked within sulfide minerals like pyrite and arsenopyrite as fine-grained or sub-microscopic particles. The cyanide leaching solution cannot access and extract the gold without first breaking down these host minerals.

The conventional gold extraction process primarily relies on two core technologies: "Flash Leaching" and "One-Step Gold Reduction." The well-established cyanidation method typically requires a leaching time of 36 to 96 hours. The entire cycle—from carbon adsorption and stripping to elution, electrolysis, and finally producing finished gold—usually spans 15 to 30 days, with a recovery rate generally between 50% and 70%.

In contrast, the new extraction method achieves leaching in just 12 to 24 hours and enables direct production of 99.99% pure gold from the pregnant solution. Furthermore, the entire process is environmentally friendly; the leaching agent is non-toxic and harmless, even possessing disinfectant properties. The leachate can be fully recycled after use, achieving true zero discharge of chemicals.
The presence of reactive components in the ore can severely hinder gold dissolution. These components engage in competitive side reactions with both cyanide and oxygen, resulting in excessive reagent consumption and significantly impeding the leaching process.