Non-Chemical E-Cell Questions...

[TheArchitect]

A few questions....

1. Has anyone had any progress w/ the divided cell process by Scavenger posted awhile ago? I'd like to hear about it, if so.

2. I'd like to try the copper mesh 'bag' anode for my Sulfuric Cell... waiting on the mesh to arrive... is anyone still using this method successfully?

3. Regarding question #2... i read about a stainless mesh... again... is anyone using this successfully?

i'm very interested in the NaCl-NaCl/H2O2 divided cell setup w/ the stainless bowl cathode as it appears that less efforts are required for disposal of the spent electrolyte...

thanks for any help

 

[TheArchitect]

OK... well i started the sulfuric cell w/ a 16 mesh Cu screen bag tonight... seems to be working well so far...

i'm still interested in the divided saltwater cell though... for karat scrap... i'm reading over the Shor patents tonight... i guess i'll just try it out as detailed by scavanger... any comments would be appreciated though... thanks...

 

[lazersteve]

I've performed the karat cell setup using a saturated salt solution and had mixed results.

The karat gold initially started to dissolve as expected. Withing three hours the cell began plating out gold instead of dissolving it.

After 6 hours I was left with 75% of my original karat gold bar and a mixture of green liquid which tested positive for dissolved gold and a fine brown mud in the bottom of the crucible which was precipitated gold.

I used a Platinum wire to connect the positive lead to the cast karat gold bar.

I used a stainless steel bowl for the negative connection.

After six hours of operation the total current dropped to around two amps and little or no dissolution/plating was observed.

I suspect the liquid in the positive compartment became saturated and that is why the gold began precipitating and plating out. I set up a fresh cell using the remainder of the same karat bar and had no luck dissolving any more of the karat bar. The culprit may have been the crucible, it might have become clogged. I really don't know. I haven't tried again with a fresh crucible.

I ended up treating the remainder of the bar with nitric followed by AR to dissolve the remaining gold.

Good Luck,

Steve

 

[TheArchitect]

interesting... the shor patents claim saturation is reached at 1 oz gold/100 mL electrolyte... how much weight were you processing?

it makes sense that if at saturation the gold would go into solution but then precipitate right back out... giving it the ability to clog the porus cup...and reducing the current. On your second attempt did your power supply read any amps?

thanks Steve...

 

[lazersteve]

I processed just over 70 grams of 14kt.

The second run reached a max of 4 amps then dropped quickly back down (less than 15 minutes).


Steve

 

[ALPHABiT]

The culprit may have been the crucible, it might have become clogged

I noted small copper powder (green) go around "water line" and tend to solidificate there when solution go to saturation.

Didnt appreciate plating, but noted gold tends to strip out in sort of foils leaving a part dropping to the bottom.

Plating i appreciated was step later, in the becker before smb dropping.

When it's very sature it tends to plate the internal becker.

(100 grams 18Kt solid in 2 steps of circa 400mL)