# Bismuth refining method?



## ORCB (Feb 1, 2011)

Anybody have any knowledge or thoughts? I found out that Bi forms a compound with gold, and since I collect elements, I grabbed some bismuth, melted it on the stove in an iron skillet, and threw in a gold ring, cause I figured nothing would happen. Well, the gold ring, 18K was gone in about 5 minutes. The excess Bi just oxidized up and then I had nothing but powder. 

Well, given that gold and copper don't melt on your stove, the Bi must have reacted with the Au and or Cu.

Seems like it could be used, especially IF the Bi is highly selecting the gold to react with??


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## nickvc (Feb 1, 2011)

It will dissolve in nitric and sulphuric acids but how safe are the sulphides and nitrates if recycled or the solutions to dispose of. It is a heavy metal and I think needs to be treated with caution, perhaps Lou or another of our resident chemists can give us some further insights before too many experiments take place. It's considered safer than lead from what I could find so perhaps it might have a place in the armoury of the refiner but whether it's the home refiner I feel will need some debate.


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## ORCB (Feb 1, 2011)

Yes, I don't know about the toxicity of Bi compounds. But Bi is thought to be relatively non-toxic for a heavy metal. It's a key part of Pepto Bismol. It is technically radioactive, but not really in practice, cause it decays extremely slowly and has a half-life of multi-billion years.


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## Irons (Feb 1, 2011)

Inquart with Silver. You can recover the Silver and reuse it easily.

Why is everyone trying to do things on the cheap.

Read my sig: the stingy man pays the most.


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## etack (Feb 1, 2011)

lots to read about bismuth look up AMALGAMITE

seems to be a lot of work

Eric


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## Lou (Feb 1, 2011)

Get your gold back by cupellation.

Anyway, waste of good bismuth. Better to make big and shiny hopper crystals!


Now you have to digest with 20% nitric to get all of the bismuth and its oxides in solution just to get the gold. You'll notice it will be blue in color from the copper in the ring. 
While bismuth is relatively tame (and can easily be stored as its hydroxide or nitrate), the copper you just contaminated it with is not as nice...


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## Barren Realms 007 (Feb 1, 2011)

Irons said:


> Inquart with Silver. You can recover the Silver and reuse it easily.
> 
> Why is everyone trying to do things on the cheap.
> 
> Read my sig: the stingy man pays the most.



Possibly because it is human nature to explore and find new ways to do things. Otherwise we wouldn't have the processes and technology that we have at our disposal today. I for one can admit to being one of those individuals and I have 30 gal's of solution in a barrel to prove it. I have always been able to find a better and faster way of doing things in my filed's or work and that has been what put me ahead of the competion. But in this field of refining that mentality does more harm than good. Once I learned to swallow my pride and buckle down and read and things started coming together it was a major turning point. it has put me in a position that now I can take 300lbs + of material and have it come in, I can sort, classify, weigh and process it in about 10-14 days. And all in 5 gal buckets with not a lot of money invested in equipment. We have had a lot of discussion lately about new comers asking the same question and an I want it now attitude. New individuals coming on here and asking question and my learning curve on answering these question has been the major factor in learning the processes. It makes you think and learn. I don't feel that the forum needs to be changed one bit in the way it is operated or policed by the moderators. What I do feel is that we all need to look back at where we started and realized we didn't know anything when we first delved into this field and had to learn from someone, a book or trial and error and have some patience with people.

Sorry for the rant.


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## Irons (Feb 1, 2011)

Barren Realms 007 said:


> Irons said:
> 
> 
> > Inquart with Silver. You can recover the Silver and reuse it easily.
> ...



I'm as stingy as they get. Just speaking from experience. :mrgreen:


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## Palladium (Feb 1, 2011)

Barren Realms 007 said:


> What I do feel is that we all need to look back at where we started and realized we didn't know anything when we first delved into this field and had to learn from someone, a book or trial and error and have some patience with people.




I agree, I've ran that thought through my head several times. I don't think for me it's so much the aspect of teaching a hard or difficult student as much as it is the attitude of that student to accept that his education is something that he earns and is not to be taken lightly. The fact that someone had seen enough potential in you to take the time and teach you should be something that you you should be honored to receive from your instructor and as such should be reflected in the respect you show toward that instructor. Knowledge comes from effort, sacrifice, and hard work. It can't be bought, transferred or given to you.


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## joem (Feb 1, 2011)

Palladium said:


> Barren Realms 007 said:
> 
> 
> > What I do feel is that we all need to look back at where we started and realized we didn't know anything when we first delved into this field and had to learn from someone, a book or trial and error and have some patience with people.
> ...


 Welcome to my world, But every once awhile a student challenges you by trying a different way and it works


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## Palladium (Feb 1, 2011)

Your right. The most difficult ones to teach are usually the most rewarding.


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## 4metals (Feb 1, 2011)

The only problem I see with experimentation is that often people tend to experiment before they have learned the basics. Then there are those that choose to experiment because they can't get the chemicals they need to do it right so they improvise. In that case too little knowledge of the chemistry involved is dangerous.


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## Barren Realms 007 (Feb 1, 2011)

Some learn to KISS and not try to fix what isn't broken.


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