Lead or Lead oxide for collector metal?

[tonytorres23rd23rd]

Hey I did my first I used iron as a collector metal what do y'all think it could a been better I know idbut I'm having a problem all my gold is getting caught in the slag so idk how tomake that not happen I used borax soda ash and glass any info would be greatly appreciated I used this stuff as crushed ore in the last photls

 

[Yggdrasil]

Hey I did my first I used iron as a collector metal what do y'all think it could a been better I know idbut I'm having a problem all my gold is getting caught in the slag so idk how tomake that not happen I used borax soda ash and glass any info would be greatly appreciated I used this stuff as crushed ore in the last photls

So you can start explaining to us in detail and step by step:
What you did.
Why you did it.
Where you found the procedures to do so.

This do not make much sense to me.
Are you even sure if there is Gold in there or that the Gold will collect in the Iron?

And please use proper English with line brakes and no abbreviations.

 

[tonytorres23rd23rd]

So you can start explaining to us in detail and step by step:
What you did.
Why you did it.
Where you found the procedures to do so.

This do not make much sense to me.
Are you even sure if there is Gold in there or that the Gold will collect in the Iron?

And please use proper English with line brakes and no abbreviations.

I crushed it mixed it with borax and soda ash and glass put it in my smelter and started smelting I did it to retrieve gold and I did it because I think these was superfine supergene

 

[Yggdrasil]

I crushed it mixed it with borax and soda ash and glass put it in my smelter and started smelting I did it to retrieve gold and I did it because I think these was superfine supergene

No testing and no Assay?
Go to Mount Baker Mining and check their smelting videos.
https://mbmmllc.com/

 

[Golddigger76]

Wow,
I was not aware that iron could be used as a collector metal.

What form was the iron in that you used in your flux, also I would be interested in how you mixed the flux.

 

[Yggdrasil]

Wow,
I was not aware that iron could be used as a collector metal.

What form was the iron in that you used in your flux, also I would be interested in how you mixed the flux.

Well, that is why I ask where he got his procedures from.
As far as I know Iron is not a good collector metal, at least not for Silver.
Gold and Silver are almost always together in some quantity and then the Gold will follow the Silver.
At least that is how I understand it.

 

[fishaholic5]

Iron is a good collector for PGMs.... a mixture of Silver and Iron as collectors will seperate most of the gold along with Silver and some Palladium and Platinum.
The rest of the PGMs will stay with the Iron in the slag.
This is a process used by at least one of the major PGM refiners ( Johnson Matthey) to provide two feedstocks for chemical extraction.
It works, but is a " proprietary process"
Whether any patents were taken out or are still current I have no idea

Cheers Wal

Edited to fix spelling

 

[Yggdrasil]

Iron is a good collector for PGMs.... a mixture of silver and iron as collectors will seperate most of the gold along with Silver and some Palladium and Patinum.
The rest of the PGMs will stay with the iron in the slag.
This is a process used by at least one of the major PGM refiners ( Johnson Matthey) to provide two feedstocks for chemical extraction.
It works, but is a " proprietary process"
Whether any patents were taken out or are still current I have no idea

Cheers Wal

But is it a good collector for Gold?

 

[fishaholic5]

No, though without the Silver Gold can alloy with Iron

Cheers Wal

 

[Southfork]

Home - Mt Baker Mining and Metals Jason uses iron nails as part of his flux recipes to drive out sulfur? along with a collector metal. Maybe that's where using iron as a collector metal came from.

 

[galenrog]

Adding a small amount of iron to flux is helpful when smelting any sulphide ores. Otherwise it is useless, in my opinion. Collector metal for gold bearing ores is typically silver or, in some cases, copper. Litharge, or lead oxide, is used as part of the flux to help convert many base metals to oxides, allowing them to slag off.

Of course, my stroke addled brain could be remembering things wrong.

Time for more coffee.

 

[goldshark]

The use of Iron for a collector metal is not a good idea. The reason is that in order to get Iron to a molten state, it requires a huge jump in furnace temperature. A properly fluxed smelt, should be fluid at around 2000- 2100 F. Much higher then this, you start to volatile off the Au/Ag. Granted, lesser amounts at lower temps, but faster and more at higher temps. Iron will require at least 2500 F, at least, to melt. Litharge or Bismuth are the preferred collector metals, due to their affinity for alloying with PM's, and their lower melt temperatures.
Borax only is, is an acceptable flux, but you need a very high percentage of metals, Au/Ag ( not Iron), in the 50% range, if just putting in a melt dish. This doesn't work for just crushing rock to a powder, adding Borax, and expecting it to refine the rock.
Perhaps reading the book on assaying, in the library, will shed some light onto the subject of what you are trying to accomplish. Read the assay book, then ask questions here, please.

 

[Yggdrasil]

Adding a small amount of iron to flux is helpful when smelting any sulphide ores. Otherwise it is useless, in my opinion. Collector metal for gold bearing ores is typically silver or, in some cases, copper. Litharge, or lead oxide, is used as part of the flux to help convert many base metals to oxides, allowing them to slag off.

Of course, my stroke addled brain could be remembering things wrong.

Time for more coffee.

I think I’m on the same page there.
But that Iron is usually not smelted Its just sitting there (often a piece if rebar) and removed before pouring.

 

[galenrog]

You are likely correct, Yggdrasil. This may be one of those days I have to have my notes in front of me, rather than trying to remember things.

Time for more coffee.

 

[minero74]

Good morning Guys
A person I know uses copper as a collector for gold and silver.

He says it's easier than using lead and less toxic.
Lead fumes are very toxic.

He grabs the metal button and melts it, then put it in a bucket of water.

grabs the metals grains and put it in a beaker
add nitric acid
silver and copper are dissolved
collect the gold for later refining

add salt to the solution to precipitate silver chloride
after grab the silver chloride for later refining.

He decant the solution to a bucket
add rail road Iron nails to cement out the copper.

all this is done in a small mining scale.

It’s simple and effective.

 

[minero74]

I remember that Iron rod it use to oxidize pyrite

 

[Tomcat]

H-L-E-P Help! I am trying to cupel using Portland cement. The lead is not oxidizing and absorbing. My collector lead is fishing sinkers. Had direct propane torch right into the cupel. Material liquified and at one point turned rainbow colors. Then nothing else would happen Was it something I said? Was it something with this type of lead?

 

[D-dog]

H-L-E-P Help! I am trying to cupel using Portland cement. The lead is not oxidizing and absorbing. My collector lead is fishing sinkers. Had direct propane torch right into the cupel. Material liquified and at one point turned rainbow colors. Then nothing else would happen Was it something I said? Was it something with this type of lead?

Don't know anything about cupeling.
But are you sure the fishing weights are lead?
Many of them are made from tin these days.

 

[Yggdrasil]

H-L-E-P Help! I am trying to cupel using Portland cement. The lead is not oxidizing and absorbing. My collector lead is fishing sinkers. Had direct propane torch right into the cupel. Material liquified and at one point turned rainbow colors. Then nothing else would happen Was it something I said? Was it something with this type of lead?

If it is indeed Lead, you need sufficient heat and Oxygen.
Preferably electric kilns.
Directing the flame on the metal will remove most if the Oxygen.
The temperature should be kept at a stable somewhere around 950-1050 C sufficiently long so the oxides can go into the cupel.
Pointing a torch at it will not be sufficient, unless you have minute amounts and plenty of fuel in the torch.

 

[Tomcat]

I didnt time myself but had good heat on it for some time. At some point you have to realize youre just wasting time and fuel and stop and figure out what is wrong. Next i am trying to make a cupel out of Portland paste and let it dry. I was thinking if the cement is just dry dust is it "refractory" as they say? In the videos it doesnt seem to take all that long (on TV). PS, cant use electric. When my electric hits 2000* F you have to shut it off soon or the 15 amp outlet wiring will get hot and burn out---happened.