# precipitating gold.....



## maninwhite300 (Nov 30, 2015)

Hi folks
i heard that silver plate can precipitating gold....is that true???
if any body can help me to precipitating gold with other ways " i can't have access to sodium metabisulfite"....thanks :lol:


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## Lou (Nov 30, 2015)

Dissolve up iron in dilute sulfuric. Filter the green solution and keep a small grease free nail in there as a preservative. This is copperas solution.


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## maninwhite300 (Nov 30, 2015)

Thank you Lou  you mean the green solution is copperas solution or the small grease free nail .....and how much shoul i use iron and sulfuric acid


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## butcher (Nov 30, 2015)

It does not matter how much iron or dilute sulfuric acid you use, using more of each will just give you more solution.

Dilute the sulfuric acid to around 10%, get some clean soft iron (not steel) transformers laminates make a good source for soft iron, you can use a grinder to cut the welds, separate the thin soft iron laminated iron plates, and torch them with a propane torch to burn off oils, shellac... wash them in water and cut them to small pieces with tin snips, add a hand full or more to a Corning pyro-ceram ceramic dish on an solid electric burner of the hot plate, add the 10% h2SO4 and heat this, the iron will dissolve in the dilute sulfuric acid forming a green solution of FeSO4 (copperas) (iron sulfate), after you dissolve the iron cool and filter the solution, you can use it this way as copperas or store it.

Lou suggested adding a clean oil free Nail to keep the solution more fresh in storage (some free acid attacking the nail to keep it fresh), for storage or to make crystals.

I personally prefer to crystallize the solution for storage and to use the concentrated liquid or crystals from that for a reagent or use the crystals for testing for gold. 

After filtering return the solution to the clean corning ware dish and use heat to concentrate and crystallize the ferrous sulfate to crystals, and a concentrated green solution, spooning out salts as they build up, in storage keeping the crystals covered with the concentrated acid in keeps the crystals from being in contact with air during storage so the stay fresh ,store in an air tight container, (HDPE plastic bottle works well), adding a few drops of dilute sulfuric to help keep some free sulfuric acid, helps also to keep the crystals fresh (and bright green).
Copperas crystals in air over time can oxidize to a brown iron oxide which will not work to precipitate gold or test for gold.
Keeping the crystals covered in their own concentrated solution helps to keep air out and the crystals fresh, a few drops of H2SO4, gives some free acid which also helps for a long shelf life of your pretty green Iron salts.

I have never tried adding a bit of iron and have seen no reason to with the way I store mine, (it stays good for me the way I store mine) but it would be a good idea to add a clean nail. 

After decanting and filtering and crystallization ,you can redissolve the crystals a second time in dilute sulfuric acid, (filtering the re diluted solution again), and recrystallize it the second time for very pure ferrous sulfate crystals (or copperas crystals).


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## maninwhite300 (Dec 1, 2015)

i really appreciate your help butcher,but can i use nail as iron or it's a steel.....this forum is god gift....


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## butcher (Dec 1, 2015)

Most nails I believe are types of steel, old square nails l believe were a more pure iron. 
Nails would work, but transformer laminates would be a better source in my opinion.
Some types of steel would work but can leave some contaminates, most of these can be filtered out, and when the FeSO4 is crystallized it would reject many of the other impurity's, another re-crystallization of the salt would reject more of those impurity's.


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## maninwhite300 (Dec 1, 2015)

Ok,so how to use the acid and it dissolve only gold or other metal with it??? :|


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## Lou (Dec 1, 2015)

Can you kindly do everyone a favor and stop posting and start reading?

Hoke's book is available and is excellent for beginners. I suggest you read that book FIRST, then again, and then practice, and then ask questions if you do not understand.

You should find a link in the Guided Tour.

Also please check out the Library.

Lou


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## Grelko (Dec 1, 2015)

Lou said:


> Can you kindly do everyone a favor and stop posting and start reading?
> 
> Hoke's book is available and is excellent for beginners. I suggest you read that book FIRST, then again, and then practice, and then ask questions if you do not understand.
> 
> ...



Also, BEFORE you start practicing, PLEASE read and safety section, so that you know which types of solutions, gasses etc, that you might be producing from mixing certain things, since alot of the mixtures are toxic or can burn you. Don't forget the proper safety gear either. (Goggles, gloves etc.)


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## maninwhite300 (Dec 2, 2015)

Thank you Grelko i will..............


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