Many thanks for your reply 4 metals
After reading your reply, and despite the fact that I may be lacking some lab equipment but I became more enthusiastic to take the challenge.
So I really want to read and learn as it seems very interesting for me to know gold leaching.
4metals said:
I would, as you are suggesting, send out the material for fire assay. I would also make a second AR test for your own quick identification process. I would do the AR before spending on the assay.
That's what I already mentioned, I sent about 100g for fire assaying and will do another AR test on 68g for confirming gold in the sample. fire assaying will cost me nothing as it will be done by a friend of mine for free.
4metals said:
Why do you feel the leach you prefer is the best? Usually samples for leach testing are prepared using various leaches and conditions and run as jar tests simultaneously. This is a big undertaking for someone with none of the lab supplies to do this.
I think Chlorine leaching would be the best choice for me because the materials/equipment (NaClO, NaOH, Ca(ClO)2, HCL,Eh/Ph meters .. etc) used could be available in the market her in Egypt. Other leaching means/techniques might not be available in my area due various reasons.
4metals said:
If the samples do produce gold, and the assay comes back showing the OPT (ounces per ton) contained you need to do much more homework. If you were to be looking at sand running 1 ounce per ton, that is relatively rich by the way, you will be looking for 0.0311 grams of gold in that 1 kilogram sample. That is not something you just drop out by conventional means and weigh on a scale. That is something that is measured by an instrument called an atomic absorption spetrophotometer.
I think fire assay should give me the same results .. isn't it ?
4metals said:
What I would do is wait for the results and if the gold is substantial (and 1 OPT is very substantial!) I would go the steps to verify the boundaries of the deposit so you can determine how much gold is in the deposit. If this is substantial, and verified by you as substantial by more sampling and more assay, then it pays to go the next step and recover the values.
That's really what I'm looking for .. the next step .. and I need to learn
4metals said:
Since the gold is dissolved by the leach in small concentrations, you need a system of collection to remove the dilute gold from the leach to raise it up to a level where it can be collected and refined. There are many methods of doing this and Deano prefers to collect it on carbon. From there it is removed and processed by more conventional refining methods.
I need to know more about this so appreciate if you guide me to read any document or posts that give information about this topic.
4metals said:
When you get your preferred leach solution set up and begin pumping the leach, you need to analyze the solution as the leach will dissolve the gold and the level of gold in solution will rise. that has to be balanced with the rate you pump through the carbon which removes the gold from the liquid. This balancing is done with flow rates and analysis in a lab of the gold content in solution, and it is done by atomic absorption spectroscopy.
As i wont be able to get atomic absorption spectroscopy, so is there any other handy tool/mechanism that I can use for doing the same ?
4metals said:
You sir seem to know about enough to get yourself in trouble with this material so I recommend caution. Apparently you are a good negotiator, your best path in this venture may be to do all of your preliminary testing and define the actual volume and value of the gold in this pile, and (with the help of a good legal contract) contact the recovery and lab work out. You can still profit nicely given the margins you defined earlier, and a working knowledge of what is happening will serve you well.
So does it means that dealing with black sand is not applicable for small/home refiners ?
But i have read here in this forum that there are some individuals have dealt with this kind of black sands while they are not in professional labs or so.
frankly, sending the sand for some professional labs may be one of the valid options but this would be may last resort in case I completely failed to do my homework.
Finally, I really need to learn and to do this kind of work with the simplest tools that could be used.
So, is there any work around that could help in this regards ..
PLS help, and guide me in this venture.