95 absolute ethanol and 1 gram liter of sodium hydroxide over 98 of the adsorbed gold was recovered in the eluate example 2 below illustrates the effects of a water soluble ketone for example acetone as an eluent in the present process the activated coconut column was prepared in the same manner as example 1 acetone was used as the eluent resulting in over 71 of the adsorbed gold being recovered in the eluate a column was prepared in the same manner as in examples 1 and 2 the eluent consisted of 6 bed volumes of 10 water and 90 methanol containing 1 gram liter of sodium hydroxide the elution step removed more than 98 of the adsorbed gold with 80 being recovered in the first two bed volumes the column was regenerated with water with less than 0 2 of the adsorbed gold being recovered in the regeneration wash the foregoing procedure was repeated for 6 cycles with no change in the adsorption elution or regeneration characteristics of the activated coconut carbon the elution of silver from activated carbon with the eluents of this process exhibits and analogous characteristics to that of gold example 5 further illustrates this point an activated coconut carbon column was loaded to approximately 375 ounces of silver per ton of activated carbon from a solution at a ph of 11 table 1 indicates the results of elutions with different eluents table 1______________________________________ silver elution eluent percent______________________________________methanol 79methanol with 1 gm 1 naoh 98 25 h sub 2 o 75 methanol 75 25 h sub 2 0 75 methanol with 1 gm 1 sodium hydroxide 98 ______________________________________ with eluents containing sodium hydroxide 92 of the adsorbed silver was eluted in the first two bed volumes it should be understood.