A lixiviant is a chemical used in hydrometallurgy to extract elements from its ore.[1][2] One of the most famous lixiviants is cyanide, which is used in extracting 90% of mined gold.
The combination of cyanide and air converts gold particles into a soluble salt.
Once separated from the bulk gangue, the solution is processed in a series of steps to give the metal.
[3] The origin is the word lixiviate, meaning to leach or to dissolve out, deriving from the Latin lixivium.
The metal can be recovered from it in a concentrated form after leaching.