# Saturated Saline & Nitric Acid - SSN Leach



## Anonymous (Jan 20, 2008)

An inexpensive leach for gold and PGM's using 7 parts brine to 1 part nitric. Will it work as Dr. Walter C Lashley (deceased) claimed.


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## Anonymous (Jan 20, 2008)

I have started a small test batch. when I added 2 lbs of gold fingers it looks like nothing happens, then some noticeable bubbles start to rise in the solution. No smoke just a faint smell of chlorine. 

It's very cold in my unheated shop -8 degrees, so I expect the reaction to slow by morning.

My leach has been working 4 hours, the newer fingers with light plating are showing about 80% of the gold has been leached. The older heavier plated fingers are not yet showing any losses..

January 23/08 dded a bit of heat, yes SSN is very reactive and gives off brown fumes. My leach turned from a clear, to green and is now brown, I assume this is the gold I seek.


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## goldsilverpro (Jan 21, 2008)

I have read a lot of Walter Lasley's articles that appeared regularly in the older issues of the California Mining Journal, before the Journal changed it's name. Lasley also did a lot of work on thiosulfate leaches. He always seemed a little crazy to me, especially when he talked about "unassayable ores" and "immature gold." However, much of his work was quite interesting.


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## Anonymous (Jan 23, 2008)

goldsilverpro said:


> I have read a lot of Walter Lasley's articles that appeared regularly in the older issues of the California Mining Journal, before the Journal changed it's name. Lasley also did a lot of work on thiosulfate leaches. He always seemed a little crazy to me, especially when he talked about "unassayable ores" and "immature gold." However, much of his work was quite interesting.



A friend of mine now deceased was doing some research using large caps and transformers to reclaim precious metals. I think he was trying to mimic the electrical field.


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## aflacglobal (Jan 23, 2008)

gustavus said:


> A friend of mine now deceased was doing some research using large caps and transformers to reclaim precious metals. I think he was trying to mimic the electrical field.




:wink:


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## AKDan (Jan 26, 2008)

Does any one know if there is an advantage to using this solution over the HCl+Cl mixture discussed here?

Would there be a difference/advantage in using clorox with the nitric rather than using the salt solution? Since the clorine in the brine solution is doing the work it would seem to be a same/same situation, other than proportions.

From reading here for the last few weeks, the SSN solution would seem to me to be a better leach option, used for extraction on ore, rather than a refining tool. Am I making correct assumptions based on the material I have been able to weed through so far?

My main objectives when I started reading at this site was information on clean extraction from ore and/or more accuratly sluice concentrates. The more I read and try to absorbe material here the more interested I become in the refining aspects in dealing with PMs. Just a very facinating subject all around.

I have been mainly interested in Halide extraction using Iodine, for which information seems hard to come by. I have read accounts of old timers using Iodine to examine ore when prospecting, but that is about the extent of the information presented in those accounts, they used it. Nothing on procedure that really explains what they were doing, or how. I have seen several threads on this forum where others have tried it, but had little or mixed success. To work out a process that is specific to Gold would seem to be a boon to this community. Deal with the gold as a singularity, and then deal with the other elements on their own terms after.

I also wanted to offer a few words of gratitude to the operators of this site. Very good information, assistance, and interesting personalities driving it all. Thank You.


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## Baja Bob (Jan 27, 2008)

have you come across Ken Williams' "Basement Chemistry", on the web?
if not go to the site and take a look at the Halide leaching section, bromine, iodine, and halogen? you can also check out his chlorine leach, you might fine it intresting. I have used several of his leaches including cyanide, all seem very effective..Baja Bob

http://webpages.charter.net/kwilliams00/bcftp/bcftp.htm


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## banjags (Jan 27, 2008)

any results yet gustavus?


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## AKDan (Jan 27, 2008)

Yes, I have all of the Basement chemestry information from Ken. I have has some spectacular success, and some dismal failures using the info, but only worked with iodine thus far. 

Once I found this site, I started trying some experiments with the HCL+CL, and so far have had reasonable results with the material I am using. However, I am working with concentrates from a sluice, and not foils soaked off a board. The reaction and working time are very different that what I have seen in a few of the video, or descriptions given. To be expected of course given the material differences.

Even having taken all of the iron out that I can find, working with small amounts of material, when adding the HCl it immediatly turns yellow. I have washed these small batches several time over too, with HCl, trying to start with a clear condition.

Well, I don't think my response information belongs in the chemical section, so I do thank you for the suggestion about Ken's information.


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