# Palladium value



## Soilman (Jan 12, 2020)

Hi guys,

I am a newby in the world of descovers and refiners, we recently came across rocks( ore) and we took them for lab testing and we found out that our ore contains palladium. ( actual lab results = 69%fe,7.89%pd, 13%cd and 10%ag). 

We planning to refine the ore and extract the palladium and silver out of the ore and the volume of the ore is 14kg crushed ore. along the research, some assume that it is not worth refining the ore as it will cost us more than gain. We not looking much in benefiting financially, but to know about different metals separation from the ore.

Please advice on how can We extract the pd and Ag from the ore please. We only know how to melt gold, as we did it before never done palladium before.


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## FrugalRefiner (Jan 12, 2020)

Your ore must be a solid piece of metal! According to your lab results, it's 99.89% iron, palladium, cadmium, and silver. Doesn't that strike you as odd? 

With palladium at around $2,100 per ounce, that would make your ore worth over $5,000 per kilogram! I think I could process that economically.

What I'm saying is your numbers don't make sense. Where are the other elements that should be in any ore? What are their percentages? Try to give us some better data and we'll try to help.

Dave


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## Soilman (Jan 12, 2020)

Let me see if I can attach the results for you to see


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## Soilman (Jan 12, 2020)

See photos


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## Lino1406 (Jan 12, 2020)

The color and the numbers say materials as alumina, silica, Ca carbonate sulfur and more are not included. but if the potential is more than 14kg, as 1st shot grind a weighed sample to around 50 microns (that's easy) and extract with aqua regia. Ag will appear as solid AgCl. Pd and (expected) other PM's will have to be dropped from solution. Weigh the resulting solids.


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## Soilman (Jan 12, 2020)

Thanks for the response, I don’t know how to refine with acid, I have never dealt with palladium before. Can I melt the ore? Can I using the home made furnace?


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## Lino1406 (Jan 13, 2020)

Melting without addition agent is useless. Look for an assayer before continuing


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## Soilman (Jan 13, 2020)

I so wish the was someone nearby ( south Africa ) to show me the palladium refining processing or take the lot and refine it.


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## Lino1406 (Jan 13, 2020)

Look for S.A. forum members


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## g_axelsson (Jan 13, 2020)

A word of caution here. XRF results on ore from an XRF without a full elemental library is very unreliable.

I've seen arsenic be reported as iridium in several occasions and more than one member of this forum have been hurt really bad by processing ore containing arsenic. We are talking hospitalizing for several months and dialysis treatment and that was the lucky one. 
https://goldrefiningforum.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=10018&p=207114&hilit=arsenic#p207114

Get a better assay, send a sample to a lab that can make a full element assay. It might save your life and even money chasing something that isn't there.

Göran


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## Soilman (Jan 18, 2020)

Thanks Mr

Most cases we get mislead due to hearing that the is some precious metal on our ore, we get excited and never want to do any further research but just want to refine the ore.


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## Soilman (Jan 18, 2020)

What is the difference on refining low grade ore and high grade? 
How do we treat low grade ore? Let’s say I go to the lab and get my sample tested and the results come back the same, is my ore low grade? Can I refine palladium and silver out of it? Never mind the cost, can I use the same solution as the one on high grade just maybe more dosages. At which percent can I not be able to extract the metal at? Can I refine 5% pd on raw ore?

Kindly please assist us. I know I am not the only one who just get fascinated by those precious names and think refining. 

September last year we discovered some palladium ore and we took it to the assayers and the results were the same ( 4.78 %PD)
We got excited that we discovered pd. Unfortunately they told us we cannot refine it as the percent is low. Is it true or they were just minding the cost.


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## galenrog (Jan 18, 2020)

Take your results to a professional mining consultant. Pay the fee. Get the advice. Go from there.

The first advice he will give is to put the XRF away and get an accurate, full spectrum assay. Primarily for the reason g_axelsson, but additional reasons may be given.

Next, if the consultant is indeed a professional, and not a fraud with an office, will be an opinion if your ore is economically viable. And why.

Ore treatments are still a few steps away.

To get professional advice, you have to employ the professionals.

Time for more coffee.


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## g_axelsson (Jan 18, 2020)

Your numbers are all wrong, but I'm no going to convince you so this will be my last reply here.

As Frugal pointed out, the result you present is a solid metal alloy. The picture is not showing a metal.

5% Pd would be unheard of as an ore, it is 50 kg per ton. You could buy a new car, load it full with rock and refine it together with the car and still break even. It's not realistic with a factor of 1000 times. The numbers are of what a mine would sell as a concentrate to a smelter, not an ore.

Instead of making plans for if you are right, try to find out why the numbers are wrong. Faulty equipment? Using it incorrect? Sampling errors? People with other motives trying to scam you?

Göran


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## chuckie2 (Jan 21, 2020)

Hello,

as Göran pointed out this can´t be real for several reasons.
There is no ore that has such a concentration of PD - for example the richest known gold ore in
the world ( found at a small spot in norway ) contains ~ 10g of gold per ton ! -- which makes 0,00001 %
in the raw ore.
There may be small nuggets of pure metals, but they are rare and cannot be collected by the kilo.
Palladium ore almost ever goes along with platium - if there is platinum there is palladium as well and vice versa.
Your assay doesn´t even show a trace of platinum.

So everything doesn´t make sense - the assay is crap and i doubt that there is any palladium at all.
Sorry to disappoint you - but if you still believe in your results the ore would be worth $$$$ so don´t 
hesitate and let a professional confirm the results with another sample - if the want $100 for a clean
assay and the palladium is there perfect - the $100 doesn´t matter at this value.
If it is not there the $100 would be a low loss and saved you much more money you might have wasted for refining, tools, ....

Regards


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