# can i precipitate gold with stanous chloride solution?



## arthur kierski (Mar 4, 2008)

stanous chloride cristals are relatively cheap in brazil--can i precipitate gold with a stanous chloride instead of smb?


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## Lou (Mar 4, 2008)

Mind your double posting Arthur.


Yes, you can use SnCl2 to precipitate gold, but it's not really worth it. Let me tell you why:

the gold you get will most likely be extremely fine (colloidal, purple)
the gold you get will have to be rid of stannic impurities
stannous chloride dihydrate is not that cheap, I don't care where you are.
Why? Tin is expensive stuff--a traded commodity with a fixed price.
Stannous chloride will cost an additional premium over that because someone had to prepare it chemically. I bet you cannot even get it in bulk for less than 10 USD/lb even though it's not even 70% by mass tin (mental math, don't quote me!)

Therefore, get something cheap like sodium metabisulfite or sodium sulfite, or cheaper still, ferrous sulfate. These will be in the few dollars per pound and will give better quality gold.


Lou


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## Harold_V (Mar 5, 2008)

Well stated, Lou. I can't disagree with one thing. I'd have said it had I had the chance. 

Don't use tin for any reason when refining, aside from testing. The traces from testing should go in with waste materials, never returned to the lot from which it came. It is clearly a contaminant. 

Using it for precipitation would really complicate matters. In solution, it borders on impossible to filter. 

Harold


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## arthur kierski (Mar 5, 2008)

thanks harold and lou----i will not do it----the reason i am asking about 
gold precipitation is because i came about first with 40lbs of gold fingers
and them more 400 lbs.my specialty is pd ,pt and rh from catalysts and 
fantasy jewellery and thermocouples.


ps. can i do the gold fingers with nitric acid and then the foils hcl-clorox?
thanks again yours Arthur Kierski


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## markqf1 (Mar 7, 2008)

Thermocouples?... Did somebody say thermocouples?

Arthur,
Listen to these two guys closely and you'll learn alot.

Mark


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## lazersteve (Mar 7, 2008)

Arthur said:


> ps. can i do the gold fingers with nitric acid and then the foils hcl-clorox?



Absolutely,

Use 1 part water and to 1 part 70% HNO3 and heat them in a crockpot or large beaker. 

Steve


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## geubrina (Mar 28, 2008)

I am sorry for foolish question:

1. what is gold fingers? and
2. foils?

I tried the dictionary, and googling but I can not have the answer.


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## Lou (Mar 28, 2008)

I suggest you read further on this forum.

Gold foils are what are obtained from your gold fingers via the AP process, which are pried off such things as processors, memory cards, and various other places on a computer where gold is used because of its oxidation-resistant and highly conductive nature.


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## eagle2 (Apr 10, 2008)

Geubrina, gold fingers is a slang name for edge connectors from electronic circuit boards. I never liked it as a name either, even though its somewhat descriptive. Edge connector is the proper name.

Al


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## SilverNitrate (Apr 13, 2008)

NaNO2 may even be cheaper to drop gold. From an AR stand point this sodium attacts the chloride, making a goldnitrate (which decomposes in the mixture) free NOx is made making a fairly strong acid, since nitric acid doesn't dissolve gold the gold is dropped, and other metals stay dissolved by the nitric acid. Only insoluable PGMs oxides could be present.


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