Getting close to that oz

[steyr223]

Hello
Sorry it's been a while
Question out of curiosity not an emergency
I am close to my oz of recovered au
I have been experimenting with refining using bleach/hcl and dropping
with smb (stump out)
I originally started with adding smb directly to the solution( after letting the bleach be dispelled over 24 hour.) No water added

I tried mixing with water first this time about 3x the volume
The solution instantlycleared up but no powder.
I then added more smb to see if there was still a reaction
which there was but the solution whent from clear to muddy brown
with a hint of goldish color . I had my brown powder the
following morning. why the color change
Thanks steyr223

 

[kurt]

Geo explained it well here in another thread - (the following is a quote from Geo) --- perhaps your not waiting long enough for the reaction to take place. SMB (sodium metabisulfite) is dissolved by water and evolves SO2 (sulfur dioxide gas) in solution. its the SO2 that precipitates the gold. when you add the SMB and the solution goes clear, thats the first chemical reaction. the next is not as rapid (end quote)

So you have 2 reactions taking place - the first is the SO2 evolving by the water & SMB - the second is the SO2 with the AuCl to drop the gold.

Kurt

 

[steyr223]

Thank you for your response kurt

So if I left it after adding my smb / h2o (made clear)
I would then see a color change at some later time
when the so2 reacts with the AuCl
I believe I had it in the wrong type of container
as far as shape goes . Very small at top ,smaller
through the neck, and very large at the bottom (like a flying saucer
What is the best container to do this as for harolds washes I need to boil the powders so I am thinking maybe a beaker .
Thanks steyr223

 

[kurt]

Yes - after your AuCL goes clear it should with in a few minutes (at most) go to a muddy brown - that is the gold droping out.

Yes - the container you preciped in was a bad choice. You may have trouble getting all your gold powder out of it.

Always precip your gold in the same container you are going to do your boil washing in & cover it with a watch glass when you do the boil washing - so it needs to be a glass container made to take the direct heat of being put on a hot plate. So yes a beaker with a watch glass on top. I have some old glass pots that are made for stove top cooking that I use.

Kurt

 

[steyr223]

Cool thanks again kurt
I realized my container was wrong and changed it
To a big plastic planter looking thing
8" round at bottom , 12" at top, about 11" tall
Works very well except the heating part! Oh well
I will buy glassware tommarrow :lol:

I am attempting siphoning . It drains way to fast for
me to get a handle on the intake
I guess I will learn
Thanks again kurt

 

[Harold_V]

I am attempting siphoning . It drains way to fast for
me to get a handle on the intake

When siphoning, you can control how fast the solution transfers by controlling the height of the discharge. As you near equilibrium, flow will come to an almost stop, so you can siphon very close to the bottom and not pick up values.

Might be a good idea for you to fill a few containers and practice the operation, raising and lowering the discharge to see how that works. Once you're on to it, you can remove virtually all of the solution in a vessel without disturbing the bottom.

I used a 3/8" inside diameter vinyl tube for siphoning. I kept the length such that I could siphon to the bottom of a 4,000 ml beaker, with the discharge end in a laundry sink, which was flush mounted to my counter. Any more hose than that just makes handling more difficult.

Harold

 

[rusty]

I also use a 3/8" inch hose, I block off the bottom then cut a slit into the side of the hose just above my plug this way I'm not siphoning values from the bottom.

I learned from Dr. Poe that blowing a stream of compressed air over the end of the hose will start the siphon.

 

[Harold_V]

I learned from Dr. Poe that blowing a stream of compressed air over the end of the hose will start the siphon.

My routine was to simply fill the hose with tap water before inserting in the container. By keeping a thumb (or finger) over the discharge end, and getting the other end in rapidly, very little of the water is spilled. It works quite well, and may serve for those who don't happen to have compressed air at their disposal.

Gill, there's a guy talking about recovering copper from solution. How would you feel about providing him some guidelines? I know you've had success at doing so.

If you'd like to contribute, here's a link:
http://goldrefiningforum.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=49&t=14634&p=147400#p147400

Harold

 

[steyr223]

Thanks kurt and harold
I haven't seen you posting much lately harold.
But then I guess the wife needs attention to :lol:
Anyways about siphoning, I like the idea of water to start, it
surely beats sucking on it with your mouth,
it takes days to get rid of that taste. :mrgreen:

In all seriousness that was a joke people please don't
try that.
I was actually using a baster to start but removeing it
had problems

Thanks steyr223