DRASLOVKA

Sodium cyanide is mainly used in the mining industry for the assimilation of gold and other precious metals. This application exploits the high affinity of gold (I) for cyanide, which oxidizes the gold metal and causes it to dissolve in the presence of air (oxygen) and water, producing sodium gold cyanide salt (or gold sodium cyanide) and sodium hydroxide.

In a similar process, potassium cyanide (KCN, a close relative of sodium cyanide) is used to produce potassium gold cyanide (KAu(CN)2). No other methods are available for this extraction process.

Several commercially important chemical compounds have been derived from cyanide, including cyanuric chloride, cyanogen chloride, and many nitriles.

In organic synthesis, cyanide, classified as a strong nucleophile, is used to prepare nitriles, which are commonly found in many specialty chemicals, including pharmaceuticals.

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