Gold leaf?

[goldsilverpro]

I dont have any gold leaf to process, but Gsp, you have me curious now.

The gold leaf video I watched that was posted by another member showed them putting it between special paper. Would AR be too acidic and break down the paper and(i think it contained) waxes, causing a gel or tough filtering time.?

Would HCl and bleach be a better methodology for putting the thin gold into solution, and possibly not destroying the paper?(which would in turn leave its own issues with rinsing and collecting all auric chloride)- but, I see it would have the advantage of dilution, which would save on acids, and hold the chlorine from the bleach in solution better.

I only ask, because I may soon have the opportunity to refine some gold leaf that is "loose leaf" and filtered waste (the filter from an air system that will be in place while a friend is having the gold leaf redone in his office (in his home), as well as the carpet -which is the same carpet that was in place when it was originally done with gold leaf 50+ years ago)

So two more questions come to mind.;
Would the carpet be a viable source of gold from the flakes and leaf?

And which of the oddball gold strippers would you be mentioning in your post - ecogoldex? Or?

Thanks in advance

I don't know how the paper would react. It would be better if it didn't pulp. There is a coating of rouge on it. Maybe dilute AR or HCl/bleach diluted. Whatever works. If you think there's gold in the carpet, I would probably cut out some samples and see how they run. It's a chore to incinerate a big carpet.

 

[Topher_osAUrus]

Agreed. A few small square foot samples from different spots will be taken, and tested before i try to run the entire room, which is about 20ft x 12, its huge. I have been reading up on the carpet posts that Harold went into detail about, and it does seem like quite the task, but possibly very rewarding.

I dont believe I will be fortunate enough to get any patent leaf, but if I do, I will test both methods to see which one would do better on a bulk lot in the future (should I be lucky enough to find and refine it). Just a guess, but i think the HCl and bleach will do better since the bleach is trying to push the solution basic, so the lower acidity may help prevent paper pulping. The only issue I forsee being a possibility, is the rogue, which is an iron oxide compound (if i remember correctly, only read about it, haven't yet dealt with it), and it may make getting the gold into solution troublesome should there be a high ratio of it to gold.

This is all hypothetical, so I guess by that aspect it is irrelevant until I get the job. But, it helps to know what I may getting myself into before its on my doorstep.

 

[FrugalRefiner]

Agreed. A few small square foot samples from different spots will be taken, and tested before i try to run the entire room, which is about 20ft x 12, its huge. I have been reading up on the carpet posts that Harold went into detail about, and it does seem like quite the task, but possibly very rewarding.

This is all hypothetical, so I guess by that aspect it is irrelevant until I get the job. But, it helps to know what I may getting myself into before its on my doorstep.

Consider, also, that if they've ever vacuumed that carpet in the last fifty years, they will have sucked up, and discarded, an ever decreasing amount of anything that may have fallen on it.

Dave

 

[Topher_osAUrus]

Consider, also, that if they've ever vacuumed that carpet in the last fifty years, they will have sucked up, and discarded, an ever decreasing amount of anything that may have fallen on it.

Dave

I figured some would be sucked up by the housemaids and some would have been beat down into the carpet. But, it's probably a pretty safe assumption, to bet that the gold in the carpet is minimal at best.

 

[jason_recliner]

I happened upon this video only a couple of days ago. If you would like to see how wonderfully and artfully Japanese gold leaf is made, take a look.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Wc1sfE__ro

 

[kurtak]

I happened upon this video only a couple of days ago. If you would like to see how wonderfully and artfully Japanese gold leaf is made, take a look.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Wc1sfE__ro

:shock: Very cool thanks for post that Jason

Kurt