Cheap alternative?

[The 420 Kid]

What would you use to dissolve base metals if you didn't want to use nitric acid could? you use citric acid? Refining from ore, not scrap.

 

[Yggdrasil]

What would you use to dissolve base metals if you didn't want to use nitric acid could? you use citric acid? Refining from ore, not scrap.

You really do not use acids on ores.
Selective leaches for PMs are used, for instance Cyanide.
Some times acids are used on concentrates though.

 

[goldshark]

Assuming you have reduced the minerals in the ore to a metallic state, depending on what metals are in it, would dictate which acid to dissolve it. Tell us what metal, or alloy you have, and I am sure we could give you some direction.

 

[Ultrax]

What would you use to dissolve base metals if you didn't want to use nitric acid could? you use citric acid? Refining from ore, not scrap.

Citric acid (0.1M concentration) is the best choice to 100% remove Al, Ca, Cu, Zn, and Pb ions from the precipitate. You will receive much better selective results than providing other organic or mineral acids. Iron will be removed up to 65%.
It is also a very good choice to primarily remove carbonates from your ore concentrate,
if the formation of chlorides or sulfates is undesirable. It is necessary to thoroughly rinse the concentrate.

 

[goldshark]

Citric acid (0.1M concentration) is the best choice to 100% remove Al, Ca, Cu, Zn, and Pb ions from the precipitate. You will receive much better selective results than providing other organic or mineral acids. Iron will be removed up to 65%.
It is also a very good choice to primarily remove carbonates from your ore concentrate,
if the formation of chlorides or sulfates is undesirable. It is necessary to thoroughly rinse the concentrate.

I have never bought Citric acid. I received some to clean my water distillation apparatus, included with unit. So am wondering what grades there are available, and wether it comes in a liquid form, or the crystalline form I received with the unit. Always wondering where the best sources and strengths are to be found. TIA .

 

[goldshark]

Never mind, Googled it myself. Now I am a citric acid expert.

 

[The 420 Kid]

Thank you. I will get some immediately! I posted a video of what I have gotten without an acid and it's a bit rough lol

 

[Darkthirty]

Never mind, Googled it myself. Now I am a citric acid expert.

$7.00 @Lb seems best price. What volume of base metals will 1# solve?

 

[goldshark]

$7.00 @Lb seems best price. What volume of base metals will 1# solve?

Just kidding on being the expert, never used it other then breaking down Carbonates in my water distiller.I would imagine it 's dissolving rate per # of reagent would vary from metal to metal.

 

[andu]

I read about citric quite a bit, there's a lot of talk about how clean it is, I noticed organic acids like vinegar for example work better on copper than hcl, which doesn't react. It is quite expensive here but definetly an option, haven't used it in any way but to make lemonless lemonade till date tho .

You can see in the attached file all the mail i still get on the subject, that and bio-leaching, which seems that letting bacteria do the job works pretty damn well.