# Stock Pot Update Two Years Accumulation



## kadriver (Dec 4, 2016)

I decanted my stock pot and made a short video of it

https://youtu.be/cm2nd_NB0GI

It looks like quite a bit of black mud!

kadriver


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## bemate (Dec 5, 2016)

Nice update!

I'm looking forward to the eventual recovery/refining from that pot, though I expect that will not be for a good long while yet... :wink: 

I very much enjoy your videos, thank you for the time and effort put into making them!


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## kadriver (Dec 12, 2016)

I'm getting some requests to refine my stock pot and make a video of it. My problem is lack of experience with the platinum group metals.

Maybe I'll just throw caution to the wind and give it my best shot. If all else fails I could just get the gold out and then add the PGMs right back into the stock pot for later refining.

It should make an interesting experiment for me, since I've never refined a stock pot before.

Thanks for the kind words

kadriver


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## nickvc (Dec 12, 2016)

The black powder will as you well know will be a mix of values its a case of now deciding which way you want to proceed, I think you have enough knowledge to make your own decision based on the fact that the probability is that you have Au, Pt and Pd cemented out .
If it was my stock pot I would take the Pd out first using nitric which then can be cemented, filter and rinse the remaining powders and then use cold weak AR to remove as much gold as possible, again filter the remaining powder which should now be mainly Pt with perhaps a little Au and traces of Rh possible.
I personally would not refine the PGMs but if you do intend to I would accumulate as much material as possible to make the risks and effort worthwhile but that is a personal choice, the methods to refine them are in Hoke and discussed here on the forum so it is possible and within your reach.


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## g_axelsson (Dec 12, 2016)

I have only refined my stock pot once, I went straight to AR and precipitated the gold, the remaining liquid had some PGM:s in it so I cemented it out with zinc and saved the black powder for later refining.

Here is a reminder of an old post...  
http://goldrefiningforum.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=52&t=21273&p=219523#p219526

Göran


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## Palladium (Dec 12, 2016)

I've done mine twice. Both times I went for the gold and left the rest for later like Kevin is talking about doing. I to have very little experience with the pgm's.


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## Topher_osAUrus (Dec 12, 2016)

In hoke, doesnt she say that Pd can be dealt with in this case by adding HCl directly, and then either decanting that and processing the palladium or adding nitric to it, then creating ar for the dissolving of the other metals?

Is there a certain reason that is?

Edit:
After perusing again, I see that this HCl then AR is done after the stock pot blacks have been incinerated, so the Palladium oxide can go into solution, which wont happen in AR.


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## kadriver (Dec 24, 2016)

g_axelsson said:


> I have only refined my stock pot once, I went straight to AR and precipitated the gold, the remaining liquid had some PGM:s in it so I cemented it out with zinc and saved the black powder for later refining.
> 
> Here is a reminder of an old post...
> http://goldrefiningforum.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=52&t=21273&p=219523#p219526
> ...



I'm getting ready to make a video of "refining my stock pot" but I don't know where to begin. Going straight to AR looks like the best way to go. I thought about hitting it with nitric acid first to get all the copper out. Is this necessary? Or is it a wasted step? Thanks.

kadriver


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## anachronism (Dec 24, 2016)

Personally I would Buchner filter the lot. You've got the right gear to do it  

Then I'd do it straight in AR. It's going to be a dirty solution but you're using Nitric and not poor man's AR too so a hot slow digest until there's no more reaction will get your PMs into the liquor. Keep an excess of Nitric in the solution at all times to prevent any precipitation. You can destroy that once you've got rid of any solids. You can process the remaining powders again using other methods if you like but this will get the vast majority of your values given enough time. No doubt other people will have other ideas but that's the way I would do it. 

Good luck with it.

Jon


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## g_axelsson (Dec 24, 2016)

Maybe reading up on the topic... here are some links including to Hoke who wrote a whole chapter on the stock pot and made nice diagrams on how to refine materials with different composition.
http://goldrefiningwiki.com/mediawiki/index.php/Stock_pot

Göran


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## nickvc (Dec 24, 2016)

By using nitric first you will remove any copper and palladium leaving you with gold, platinum and possibly some rhodium, this to me seems the easiest way to go as you can now remove the gold by either using weak AR cold leaving the majority if not all of the platinum and any rhodium or driving the reaction with heat and full strength AR to dissolve it all, you can then precipitate the gold leaving platinum and any rhodium in solution, these can be cemented back out, as can the palladium from the nitric solution, and kept until you have the volume to make either a sale or refine them yourself. It really depends on what materials you have previously refined and whether the amount of suspected PGMs makes their separation worthwhile.


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## anachronism (Dec 24, 2016)

Given that he is using Nitric in the AR I don't really see the need for two steps Nick. Might as well cover it off in one process.


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## nickvc (Dec 24, 2016)

The only advantage is to separate the Pd from the Pt which as I pointed out depends on the amount likely to be in the stock pot, if there is only a few grams of both metals then yes straight to AR, I think if you used cold weak AR you might well still leave the Pt behind undissolved so long as he keeps the reaction cold.


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## anachronism (Dec 24, 2016)

nickvc said:


> The only advantage is to separate the Pd from the Pt which as I pointed out depends on the amount likely to be in the stock pot, if there is only a few grams of both metals then yes straight to AR, I think if you used cold weak AR you might well still leave the Pt behind undissolved so long as he keeps the reaction cold.



Agreed mate. That's why I suggested a long slow hot digest.


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## nickvc (Dec 24, 2016)

A hot digest will dissolve everything, a cold weak one will only take gold and palladium leaving the platinum which can be refined after filtering the pregnant solution, again all this is volume dependant as to whether it is worth the extra steps for the amounts involved, with little in the way of PGMs in the residues then yes a hot AR digestion, precipitate the gold and cement the PGMs.


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## Topher_osAUrus (Jan 18, 2017)

If he is trying to separate Pd from it. Would this not be feasible:
Incinerate sludge
HCl leach the palladium oxide
decant the palladium chloride and precipitate accordingly
run cold dilute AR for the gold
decant into another beaker to precipitate accordingly
run hot concentrated AR for the platinum?

I'm sure there are other ways not mentioned yet, that would be possible too.
Lou mentioned the bromine method is excellent for palladium oxide, and the Bromine can be recycled indefinitely as well.


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## gcdrummer02 (Jan 24, 2017)

I think oxidizing the palladium would cause loss. 

As far as I understand, this sludge would be treated the same in Hoke's book as a compositions of unknowns.


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