# Gold refining/seperation from sand



## Anonymous (Oct 3, 2009)

We have panned most of the lighter solids/minerals/etc and are left with a darker powder with lots of glimmering sheen. All metal has been removed with a magnet, but there is still obviously lots of crap with the metal. I also think there may be silver along with the crushed rock/other heavy metals.

Also I am thinking we may be loosing some gold cause the particles are so small that some of the powder seems to float on the top...and DOES look like gold.

My question is...what is the easiest/SAFEST/most effective way to refine this sand properly? Should we be panning it even with the particles being so small?

I have experience anodizing aluminum and I have a shop setup to plate these metals safely and effectively. I have heard you can use some GC salt solution with a DC rectifier(Batt charger? Manual not auto?) To suspend the metals, then use sodium-pyrosulfite so percipitate it.

Would this work with this sand? Is there more info I can get on this process?(like surface area formulas, cathode/anode materials, and voltage amp calculations?).

I have also heard of using aqua regia solution BUT I don't believe this process is safe, or will work for removing gold from SAND.


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## Anonymous (Oct 3, 2009)

I was thinking, if the salt solution will work, and I already have the setup to do this safely...maybe I could run the sand through the solution, stirring etc and letting the sand fall to the bottom.

The remaining salt solution will be filtered and transfered to a clean tank where the sodium stuff will be used to percipitate the gold.


Will this work? Or do I have it all wrong?


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## Anonymous (Oct 3, 2009)

Add a drop of dish soap to your water, it will keep the gold from floating. Chemical on black sand, it takes a lot and you have to process out the iron oxides before you can get to the gold. I have done this with warm hcl, it quickly quits working as the iron in solution elevates, I have a water cooled condenser and supply enough heat to force force the reaction allong, condensing the evaporated HCL when sands are nearly dry, empty, rinse with water, then reuse the condensed HCL.

Electrolysis is not very effecient, and hard to pull off. 

vinegar and salt work very slowly, grind the sand to a fine powder anything you try will work better. Also if the sands are ground the find gold will be easier to pan out.

Jim


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## Anonymous (Oct 3, 2009)

There are iron pellets in the sand as well, these are easily removed with a magnet. Is iron oxide magnetic as well? Or do I HAVE to use the acid? 

I am not familiar with this process, and your post is very vague and just leaves me with alot more questions. I want to do this right, and obviously get the purest gold from the sand.

So, after using the acid what will be left in the sand? There is all sorts of different rock and minerals mixed in with the sand so will the acid just remove the iron? What about all the other crap that panning will not remove?


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## Anonymous (Oct 3, 2009)

I was basically saying that acids are a waste of time with black sands. You can grind them to powder, add a drop of soap to your panning water so the fine gold will not float.

If you remove the iron with acids, you have to do this before, you try to process with AR.

Have the sands assayed, then you can sell them and let the pro's get the gold out.

Jim


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## Anonymous (Oct 3, 2009)

That's also out of the question. I can pan to get the black sand, and you are saying don't go the acid route...

I'd rather purify the sand myself then get a pro to do it.


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## Anonymous (Oct 3, 2009)

I said to grind the sand to fine powder, add a drop of dish soap to your panning water.

jim


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## Anonymous (Oct 3, 2009)

james122964 said:


> I said to grind the sand to fine powder, add a drop of dish soap to your panning water.
> 
> jim


Oh ok, maybe my panning technique is out of wack, so after panning with the soap and grinding it finer (what is the best way to do this?) the materials will seperate better? leaving the gold on the bottom and not the other heavy metals?

I sure hope this works...after I do this will it be meltable?


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## Anonymous (Oct 3, 2009)

Thanks for the input, thanks alot. The guy who owns the sand is coming over to try with my pan we just need to grind it finer. I have a few ideas, like using a large ball bearing and a round heavy steel dish, but is there a better way to do it? Do you also know a link that will show me how to perfect my panning technique?


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## Anonymous (Oct 4, 2009)

Sorry for my triple post...but I have been up all night searching this wonderful forum and came across a few processes.

Acid peroxide and Acid bleach processes both seem to be the easiest to do, since I can easily get the chemicals, and still do it safe. Will this process work for the Ore? Is it worth a try on a sample?

Once panned the material is obviously very shiny, it has already been crushed a few times and the remaining heavy materials looks like it contains a crap load of gold, there is some reminants of black dust(Iron oxide? Carbon?) and some other metals which are all obviously heavy enough to kinda stick together on the bottom.

If I use the AP or bleach method, will the gold in the dust dissolve into the solution properly even with all the other metals present? Will there be contamination issues? Is there a way to reduce contamination issues? I sure do have alot of questions...but I am sure refining this ore will be worth it.

I want to go the leaching route, but I obviously need a bit more information on the proper techniques. Even after searching the forum till...6:30am!! Holy crap, I still havn't found enough information to convince myself that I will be able to pull this off successfully.

If anyone is willing to help me out, either in this thread or PM, I would even be willing to supply you with a sample of the panned heavy materials for your own refining/processing.


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## lazersteve (Oct 4, 2009)

Dissolving with HCl-Cl or AP are not recommended until you have removed the iron. If you are sure the cons are free of iron then try a small sample in each reagent and see what you get.

Steve


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## Anonymous (Oct 4, 2009)

lazersteve said:


> Dissolving with HCl-Cl or AP are not recommended until you have removed the iron. If you are sure the cons are free of iron then try a small sample in each reagent and see what you get.
> 
> Steve


I have heard that HCl will remove the iron? I let a few pieces sit in some bleach overnight and the pieces rusted.

What about the sulphur smell that it puts off when I burn the material? Should I burn the stuff after soaking in HCl overnight? Would it be best to do this a few times over and over?


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## eeTHr (Oct 4, 2009)

DBLNUP;

Here is a Yahoo Group which has lots of people who are faced with about the same problems you are having with the material you mentioned. Last month was especially focused on black sands.

http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/MicronGold/messages/12822?xm=1&o=1&l=1


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## Anonymous (Oct 5, 2009)

Yahoo....eww


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## eeTHr (Oct 5, 2009)

That seems to be the general feeling about it. Something about their policy agreement, I think. I've never read it. What's up with it, anyway?


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## Anonymous (Oct 5, 2009)

Yeah, I might take a look still though, just need to sign up since I never had a yahoo account.

Anyways, Harold was saying I should get an assay done...how much do these cost? And what kind of information would it provide me with?


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## butcher (Oct 8, 2009)

maybe you can assay yourself if cost is problem?


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## Palladium (Oct 8, 2009)

He's gone. I think he had some computer problems.

:twisted: :twisted: :twisted:


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## jimdoc (Oct 8, 2009)

I thought the boxing cat scared him away.
Jim


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## EDI Refining (Oct 8, 2009)

Noxx made the right decision, and banned him 
he setup another username though KUMAR i believe


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## Palladium (Oct 8, 2009)

P3M said:


> Noxx made the right decision, and banned him
> he setup another username though KUMAR i believe



Like i said, he had computer problems. I think his computer got Swine Flu. :shock:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfIjEz1cvt8&feature=channel


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## Harold_V (Oct 9, 2009)

P3M said:


> Noxx made the right decision, and banned him
> he setup another username though KUMAR i believe


I banned that user immediately. 

Harold


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## butcher (Oct 10, 2009)

sorry, I have been so busy lately, just jumping on forum and not able to keep up with what has been going on here, I guess some people just either don't have repect or sense, not knowing what a great forum, and an education this can be, sometimes we have to learn the hard way, maybe his sick computer will get through the thick skull?


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