# hcl and bleach



## rkbassin (Feb 22, 2011)

hey folks new question can i use 50% hcl and 50% bleach and boil to make it desolve gold. after its desolved can it be recovered by the copperas method thanks


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## lazersteve (Feb 22, 2011)

If you mix more than a few milliliters of equal portions of 32% HCl (muriatic acid) and 5% sodium hypochlorite (bleach), you are going to make one hell of a large cloud of chlorine gas. Boiling the mixture will only expand the cloud. Chlorine is the active ingredient in dissolving the gold in the HCl-Cl reaction. Chlorine is least soluble in hot solutions and is quickly forced out of the solution into the air at elevated temperatures.

The methods to dissolve gold using muriatic acid and bleach have been discussed at length including proper safety and mixing techniques.

Here's one of many such posts:

Using HCl-Cl to Dissolve Gold

The use of ferrous sulfate (copperas) as a precipitant for gold has also been discussed at length. It needs to be fresh to work properly.

Harolds Post on Using Copperas

I hope this gets you pointed in the right direction.

Steve


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## rkbassin (Feb 22, 2011)

i keep saying boiling im realing meaning evaporation my bad


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