Aqua regia gold stuck in solution electrolysis

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First, there is nothing wrong with trying new methods.
Just be aware that the chances of actually finding a new method that is either better or more economically sound then the ones the industry is already using is quite slim.
People have been extracting and refining Gold for millennia and it has gradually evolved to the methods the industry use today.

But here is the catch, if you are to do such a thing it has to be done in a methodical and planned way so you understand what is happening and why.
This is where you fail, you just keep adding stuff hoping to solve a problem you don't understand the nature of.

To solve your problem we need some information.
We can start with this.
1 How did you make your Aqua Regia?
2 Did you test the liquid with Stannous before your electrolysis, if so how and how did it look. Pictures please.
3 Did you decompose your Nitric in the AR before the electrolysis?
4 How much Sulfuric did you add?
1: 4:1 hydrochloric to nitric acid
2: pictures attached
3: no I did not decompose
4: I added sulfuric untill I stopped seeing precipitate, let it sit a day, and added a splash and didnt see any more precipitate
 
1: 4:1 hydrochloric to nitric acid
2: pictures attached
3: no I did not decompose
4: I added sulfuric untill I stopped seeing precipitate, let it sit a day, and added a splash and didnt see any more precipitate
1. We do not usually do AR like that, since we need to deal with the surplus Nitric after.
2. No pictures but your videos do not seem positive.
3. Then the AR will continue to dissolve what it can as soon as the current is turned off.
4. Too much Sulfuric will eat up the graphite in no time. Add just a few drops, like a ml per liter or so.

Get a proper assay of your ore, then you will know what is there.
 
1: 4:1 hydrochloric to nitric acid
2: pictures attached
3: no I did not decompose
4: I added sulfuric untill I stopped seeing precipitate, let it sit a day, and added a splash and didnt see any more precipitate
What are you trying to precipitate with sulfuric? lead? because there is no gold in the solution you tested. you hope to see gold and are now searching for it where it went. it was not there to start with!
this looks like a case of gold fever.

To repeat Yggdrasil: experimenting is to be done in a controlled manner to fix all variables and change one to note the effects, not mixing things together to get assumed effects, this is where you are mixing up processes and reactions, but we'll find out.

The fact you start with put ore in AR, for us is a big "Oh my goodness, here we go again" alert. Hence the "you do not know what you are doing" comment.
The misinterpreted stannous test confirms that. trying to precipitate something with lead is another.
 
What are you trying to precipitate with sulfuric? lead? because there is no gold in the solution you tested. you hope to see gold and are now searching for it where it went. it was not there to start with!
this looks like a case of gold fever.

To repeat Yggdrasil: experimenting is to be done in a controlled manner to fix all variables and change one to note the effects, not mixing things together to get assumed effects, this is where you are mixing up processes and reactions, but we'll find out.

The fact you start with put ore in AR, for us is a big "Oh my goodness, here we go again" alert. Hence the "you do not know what you are doing" comment.
The misinterpreted stannous test confirms that. trying to precipitate something with lead is another.
correct I wanted to precipitate lead and any other metals with sulfuric acid which it did.
Does the following stannous chloride test show gold?
PXL_20231029_222513868.jpg
 
There is absolutely no way it can be neutral, unless you have not told the whole truth.
Attached PH test. test shows slight hint of orange/red but thats simply due to the solution color and some red crystals floating on top, otherwise no color change. I explained every step I did in detail. all I did was aqua regia ore extraction, sulfuric acid, vacuum filter, electrolysis, add some hcl, add some nitric, turned black, added MSB. Now its neutral. Theres zero reason for me to lie. Something weird happened during electrolysis which im pretty sure had to do with the iron electrode.

PXL_20231031_122831847.jpg
 
No, it is not positive, did you see the image I posted?
And get some proper lab glass or pyrex glass please.
ive seen many other stannous chloride test with gold that simply turn and precipitate black. Many pictures on the internet show black. I understand for controlled experiments it can turn purple but this is ore and also may contain palladium and platinum among other metals messing with the color. The precipitate from the electrolysis clearly looks like gold too.

sddefault.jpgmaxresdefault.jpg
 
Do you know the dangers of the solutions and metal salts you are working with? no, because you do not know what is in the solution to start with.
Look up platinosis e.g.
Gloves are a very simple and effective way to prevent you from metal poisoning or worse, a painful slow death.
again: you do not know what you are doing and need to stop and learn before you continue experimenting!! stay alive!

correct I wanted to precipitate lead and any other metals with sulfuric acid which it did.
Does the following stannous chloride test show gold?
View attachment 60092

As for the stannous: It could be, but it's too dark to see. Black is too much of brown, or purple, but you can't see.
Dilute one drop on a piece of paper, put a drop of stannous next to it so that the touch and are drawn to each other.

If this is the same solution as the last test, you can be sure there is no gold, which makes sense, that nothing would precipitate after adding SMB. Repeating it won't make a difference.
Having a very dilute AuCl solution as a reference testing solution to see if your stannous is still good is another way of knowing what color it should be.
 
Attached PH test. test shows slight hint of orange/red but thats simply due to the solution color and some red crystals floating on top, otherwise no color change. I explained every step I did in detail. all I did was aqua regia ore extraction, sulfuric acid, vacuum filter, electrolysis, add some hcl, add some nitric, turned black, added MSB. Now its neutral. Theres zero reason for me to lie. Something weird happened during electrolysis which im pretty sure had to do with the iron electrode.

View attachment 60093
Get some gloves on your hands NOW!
Acid plus acid simply do not get neutral, I believe your test strips are expired.
 
ive seen many other stannous chloride test with gold that simply turn and precipitate black. Many pictures on the internet show black. I understand for controlled experiments it can turn purple but this is ore and also may contain palladium and platinum among other metals messing with the color. The precipitate from the electrolysis clearly looks like gold too.

View attachment 60095View attachment 60094
Very dark brown is black, very dark purple is also black. If A = B does not mean that B = A
They are both forests, but made up of other trees when you come closer.

Stop trying to prove something that is not there and take our advice.
Get a gold fever pil.
 
ive seen many other stannous chloride test with gold that simply turn and precipitate black. Many pictures on the internet show black. I understand for controlled experiments it can turn purple but this is ore and also may contain palladium and platinum among other metals messing with the color. The precipitate from the electrolysis clearly looks like gold too.

View attachment 60095View attachment 60094
Stannous can get so strongly colored that it is perceived as black, but will not precipitate anything.
Dilute it and try again or better use paper or cotton buds.
And get an assay before proceeding.
 
correct I wanted to precipitate lead and any other metals with sulfuric acid which it did.
Does the following stannous chloride test show gold?
View attachment 60092
The major give away here is the clear liquid and black spots.
A positive Stannous is a homogeneous colored liquid or spot on a paper/cotton bud.
This looks more like something has cemented out of a liquid.
 
I have had plenty of stannous chloride tests that were black, however this is always with a significant quantity of gold in solution.
How much ore did you put in the aqua regia to test ?
If it was a high grade cherry picked sample that had a lot of visible gold it could show up as black on the stannous test.
I'm certain that if it was that good of a specimen I would keep it for my personal collection or crush and pan, then refine the concentrates.
Do you happen to have any pictures of the ore that you used ?
 
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You may already be aware of this testing method but if not give it a try.
I have problems reading the spoon or dish test myself.

If you will use a cotton swab to stannous test it will show your results a lot clearer.
Put a drop of stannous where the cotton meets the stick, then dip the tip of the cotton swab in your solution.
Where the solution and stannous meet up on the swab makes a very clear and distinct line that will show you if you have gold, platinum or platinum.
 

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