I started with about 50g of mixed gold plate through 18k. added just over 150g of copper to inquartate. when pouring the mixed metals, i was to close to the surface of the water and didn't get the corn flake effect that I was expecting. also the metals didn't mix the way I expected, I could see bands of different metals in the cooled product. Decided to do the run anyway.
Now for the chemistry...
I was not able to obtain Nitric acid, so I used the poorman's method using potassium nitrate and muriatic acid to create the AR. I used 50g of potassium nitrate, 200ml of muriatic acid and 500ml of distilled water.
Added my metals, and away it went. I left it all overnight. When I got back to the solution, the reaction was mostly complete. The solution was a very dark green color. I divided the solution in half.
I diluted the first half with 500ml distilled water, mixed 120g of smb with 350ml distilled and added to this.
my solution turned a cloudy tan color and no metals dropped.
That is when I started researching this site for some answers to my stupidity.
Findings:
Likely still had free nitric in solution.
Best fix use sulflamic acid. I didn't have any on hand.
Next add some muriatic acid and bring to a boil. I did that, and a very small amount of metal dropped.
Nowhere near the amount that I was expecting.
I decided to split the volume of solution again and dilute a second time thinking that i needed to give the nitrates somewhere to dissolve. OMG, I had a burst of metal precipitate. The solution changed to a pretty golden yellow and I had a brown precipitate.
This is the part that i did correctly. I decanted the liquid and save it for future investigation.
After 4/5 hot water washings, the precipitant was still a very dirty brown color. Next, Muriatic acid wash, no change still very dark brown color. After the 15th wash, it was starting to look pretty. I decided to dry it.
To my dismay the dried product had a green film over all.
I am still washing.
I still have the other half of the original solution waiting to be reduced.
!! HELP !!
Now for the chemistry...
I was not able to obtain Nitric acid, so I used the poorman's method using potassium nitrate and muriatic acid to create the AR. I used 50g of potassium nitrate, 200ml of muriatic acid and 500ml of distilled water.
Added my metals, and away it went. I left it all overnight. When I got back to the solution, the reaction was mostly complete. The solution was a very dark green color. I divided the solution in half.
I diluted the first half with 500ml distilled water, mixed 120g of smb with 350ml distilled and added to this.
my solution turned a cloudy tan color and no metals dropped.
That is when I started researching this site for some answers to my stupidity.
Findings:
Likely still had free nitric in solution.
Best fix use sulflamic acid. I didn't have any on hand.
Next add some muriatic acid and bring to a boil. I did that, and a very small amount of metal dropped.
Nowhere near the amount that I was expecting.
I decided to split the volume of solution again and dilute a second time thinking that i needed to give the nitrates somewhere to dissolve. OMG, I had a burst of metal precipitate. The solution changed to a pretty golden yellow and I had a brown precipitate.
This is the part that i did correctly. I decanted the liquid and save it for future investigation.
After 4/5 hot water washings, the precipitant was still a very dirty brown color. Next, Muriatic acid wash, no change still very dark brown color. After the 15th wash, it was starting to look pretty. I decided to dry it.
To my dismay the dried product had a green film over all.
I am still washing.
I still have the other half of the original solution waiting to be reduced.
!! HELP !!