Acid Leaching Processes

[BBM01720]

Hello.

I have copper gold silver ore.

At the end of the process of concentrating I plan to use aqua regia to precipitate gold.

Does this process seem sound to remove minerals and alloyed metals?

Neutralized and washed after each.

Dilute sulfuric acid bath; remove zinc, manganese etc.

Hot concentrated sulfuric acid bath; remove silver and copper.

Nitric acid and formic acid to refine silver.

Concentrated nitric acid to remove pyrite.

Aqua regia to precipitate gold.

Thanks.

 

[4metals]

Do you have any assays on the material? What type of ore is it? And I think you need to study a bit before you start in with the acids.

 

[nickvc]

To expand on 4metals post, you need to know what exactly is in the ore, it could and probably does have highly toxic elements within its makeup that will be even more dangerous or even deadly when combined with acids.
If this scares you it's meant to, we have had one precious member who poisoned himself very badly because he wouldn't heed our concerns, we do not wish that to happen again!

 

[4metals]

I see you have posted the availability of this ore for sale on other threads on the forum. That's great but the first questions you will be asked are about the assay and the ore type. If you don't know, there are 2 types of people you will find in your dealings, the kind of people who will want to give you a raw deal because you don't know what you have and what it's worth, and the second type will just hang up. So either way, you have to know what you're selling.

 

[BBM01720]

Hello.

There is copper, silver, gold, lead, manganese, zinc, pyrite, and other minerals. Do not see any mercury or arsenic levels. I am aware of the dangers of acids. I am only processing small amounts outdoors with protective gear; acid proof apron and gloves, eyewear, and a ventilator mask. Thanks for your comments!

 

[BBM01720]

The assay is en route.... There is copper ore en masse and also copper pyrite, copper gold, electrum, gold, lead ore, gold ore; some sulfide and also some free milling ore. It is Nevada and there are a lot of things going on in the rock at this site. I think the great basins scare me more than chemistry!

 

[BBM01720]

As a boy I travelled to Colombia with my father to acquire gold and emeralds.

He was a gemologist. His workshop for carpentry doubled as a chemistry lab.

He taught me to smelt gold when I was still small.

I will be careful!

 

[BBM01720]

I had an older friend who opened the container of acid my father used to make aqua regia as a child. He was burned to the bone on his forearm and needed several skin grafts from his hip to close the wound. He would not heed my warnings either!

 

[Lino1406]

Looks as if grinding a sample very fine and panning it to assess gold amount is useful