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Bagiedog

New member
Joined
Nov 26, 2010
Messages
3
I have been collecting and reading for over a year and I want to work with a sulfuric cell but would like to draw to the cathode rather than make black powder if I can,coulc I use plated material for that ?

Thanks for any thoughts
 
You can't draw to the cathode if you’re talking about a sulfuric stripping cell. At least not gold. The gold is only drawn into solution at the anode (your plated material) for a short period of time by the voltage potential. Once it migrates away from the anode the gold then precipitates back out of the solution. I don't think it will work even by moving it closer. I may be wrong but i'm sure someone will correct me if i am
 
I had thought that re-plating was an option? I guess I will make 90% sulfuric and make black powder.

Thank you for your time.
 
The clue to the idea of plating metals out is the same as to plate on, the solution needs to have metals in solution to start the process whether it's drawn from the metals you want to strip or in the solution to start with. There are plenty of patents for this out there but they all seem to leave some material in the solution that needs to be recovered. The sulphuric cell is excellent in that the gold is dissolved by the formation of per sulphuric acid and that only forms for a short period or distance when it becomes sulphuric again releasing the gold from solution. The bad thing is sulphuric especially concentrated sulphuric is about as nasty an acid as we deal with in refining, for the cell to work well the acid needs to be 95%+ and must not be run to hot or base metals will also start to dissolve in quantity. The other problems are is that the acid is very thick meaning settling takes time and using paper filters is a definite no no as the acid will destroy your filter unless the acid is well diluted. Read up the process of using the cell very carefully and fully understand the dangers associated with using concentrated sulphuric, this is nasty unforgiving acid.
 
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