Non-Chemical Filter Pore Size For Gathering Gold From My Ultrasonic Cleaner

[Person A]

I'm a jeweler and I do sometime polish gold. When I do this some of the polishing compound (which now contains a small about of gold) sticks the item I'm polishing. The item then gets transferred to the ultrasonic clear as all the compound needs removed for the next polishing step.

The compound ends up in the bottom of the ultrasonic clear which is emptied down the sink with the waste water. Ultimately I'm poring gold down the drain.

To stop this my plan was to empty the waste water into a tank via a funnel with a filter in it. Every month or so I'll replace the filter and they can be collected and gold extracted once a year.

What is the maxima pore size I can get away with? I was hoping to use a filter with pore size-

Min: 8.8 (average diamter in um)
Max: 28.4 (average diamter in um)

As this will be cheap and fast enough. Is this to small? Any recommendations?

 

[nickvc]

If you are doing any quantity of work at the bench then add a settlement tank under your sink.
They are simple to build with a plastic box and some baffles, the whole idea is to allow heavier particles to settle so make sure the entry and exit pipe are at the top of the tank and make the baffles so that it slows the progress of the water to the exit, some to pass under a baffle next over one, the beauty is it will catch any values you wash down the sink from your hands etc.

 

[geedigity]

As Nick indicated, you may be losing gold simply by washing your hands. For a good trap to work properly, especially with ultra fine particles, it is all about the waste water moving slow enough to allow for the particles to settle out. Basically a balance between adequate flow and gold recovered.

How much volume of wash water would you need to filter? How much time do you have on hand? I would think if it is a small amount of water and have some free time, then a funnel with a "charmin plug" or better yet, a rolled-up piece of fiberglass insulation (fitted into the funnel) could be a good interim fix to collect the gold.

Larger quantities of water and less time would push me to go the route of collecting gold from any water used in the shop. Although the process is different, this would be a very similar concept to how you probably already collect any gold from floor sweepings, polishing residues, rags, shoes, etc.

 

[rickzeien]

I have this trap on the sink in my lab.

https://www.sheffield-pottery.com/Trap-Eze-Bottle-Trap-64-oz-Complete-Sink-Trap-Kit-p/bd62150.htm

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[nickvc]

Rick I fear that would not do the job required as the particles the OP is talking about are very very small so extremely light hence the need for baffles to slow the water flow allowing them to settle, this set up is very common in jewellery workshops.

 

[rickzeien]

Rick I fear that would not do the job required as the particles the OP is talking about are very very small so extremely light hence the need for baffles to slow the water flow allowing them to settle, this set up is very common in jewellery workshops.

nickvc,

Thanks for the heads up. That makes sense. I use my set up to catch silver chrystal that might "escape" as I wash silver from my thumb cell. (Water goes to a waste water tank for further processing)

Plus I now have a new project to build in the future. Going to bookmark this thread for when I am ready.

Man I love this forum!

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[nickvc]

Rick think of the miners set up to catch the gold from the gravel, they use riffles to allow the water to slow and allow the heavier gold to drop, the only difference is we are talking much smaller particle size and much less water to push it through the baffles which should allow all the values to settle within the tank.
I set up a simple catch system for Jon using a couple of different size plastic buckets inside a larger tub which then discharged the water, until then it was simply washing away.

 

[rickzeien]

Thanks Nick

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[cosmetal]

Correct me if I'm mistaken (of course, ), but, aren't most PM polishing compounds made with some sort of binder that is going to trap most of the fine gold/silver/platinum? An ultrasonic cleaner will remove the polishing compound (with the trapped PMs) from your workpiece, but, I believe that it won't separate the fine PMs from the polishing compound. Yes? If no, then filter and trap the compound, and PMs, then determine the best way to chemically separate the PMs from the polishing compound.

Peace,
James

 

[grainsofgold]

Rick I fear that would not do the job required as the particles the OP is talking about are very very small so extremely light hence the need for baffles to slow the water flow allowing them to settle, this set up is very common in jewellery workshops.

In most small workshops these work well- The only issue is if you put a lot of water through the sink after you dump the waste which may not allow the material to settle at the bottom of the container-

If you get one with a filter they will smell over time and you need to clean them - even with the basic type you have shown it will smell if sludge collects and adding Bleach will rid the trap of the smells-

when you collect the material dry it out and then inceneratre it with filters and polishing dust-

Im a jeweler as well

 

[rickzeien]

Rick I fear that would not do the job required as the particles the OP is talking about are very very small so extremely light hence the need for baffles to slow the water flow allowing them to settle, this set up is very common in jewellery workshops.

In most small workshops these work well- The only issue is if you put a lot of water through the sink after you dump the waste which may not allow the material to settle at the bottom of the container-

If you get one with a filter they will smell over time and you need to clean them - even with the basic type you have shown it will smell if sludge collects and adding Bleach will rid the trap of the smells-

when you collect the material dry it out and then inceneratre it with filters and polishing dust-

Im a jeweler as well

All good information. What do you use?

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