help with the ECOGOLDEX process

[andy1987]

Greetings to all forum friends

I would like to know if anyone has an idea that this is happening in the process with ECOGOLDEX.

In the first part of the process, everything was perfect, I used Ecogoldex to extract the gold from the pins in image 1.



after the extraction, the pins as you can see in image 2, do not have gold.



now I made the precipitation with agent a and agent b, then with SMB. then use zinc powder. and the solution is filtered. Up to this point, everything is perfect.

Now I have the zinc powder with gold as explained in the instructions I must use 36% HCL to remove the zin and leave only the gold. but in my city I could only find HCL at 31.5%. I made the process so that I only get the gold dust without the zinc. and here my big problem begins.

As you can see in image 3, the solution takes a light blue color and in all the images it should be black and in the background the precipitated gold dust.



Now I do not know what to do, I was thinking about letting the solution dry, and mixing the powder with aqua regia, and again precipitating it.

If someone has any idea or knows why the light blue color, I appreciate the support.

 

[FrugalRefiner]

Have you tried posting your question on EcoGoldex' forum? John was a member here for a while, but he hasn't visited in a long time.

The blue color is likely from copper.

Dave

 

[Platdigger]

Also, I would be very careful when adding an acid at any point in this process,
as you are working with a small amount of cyanide in one form or another.

 

[Philippines]

I think you can collect those precipitated zinc dust then soak it with sulfuric acid to remove the zinc and leave the precious metal. Then further refining still needed.

 

[anachronism]

This confuses me.

The manual I have seen for this product doesn't mention SMB, and the three part "dropping system" uses no SMB either.

Also there are big red letters about using anything acidic near the solution so where did the SMB/Acid thing come from please do you have a link?

 

[tesaygo]

What i knew about this new reagent is it was alternative for cyanide. And its procedure and process was just the same as cyanidation. you can you zinc dust or Activated carbon to recover the gold dissolve.
Then ashing of carbon then smelt then refining. For zinc acid washing using sulfuric acid then smelt, then refining whether using AR way or nitric acid boiling.

 

[kurtak]

What i knew about this new reagent is it was alternative for cyanide.

Per the underlined --- NOT true --- it - IS - cyanide - that is what dissolves the gold :!:

So treat it JUST LIKE cyanide :!: :!: :!:

It has been talked about MUCH here on the forum - I don't have time right now to do a search & post the search results here --- can someone please provide some search results for tesago - before he kills himself

Kurt

 

[anachronism]

Kurt it's all laid out in a big pdf on the eco goldex website. You can even Goggle it and find the pdf which is pretty in depth. If people haven't got the brains to do that, read the instructions and follow them then there's not a lot more you can do.

Jon

 

[nickvc]

Kurt it's all laid out in a big pdf on the eco goldex website. You can even Goggle it and find the pdf which is pretty in depth. If people haven't got the brains to do that, read the instructions and follow them then there's not a lot more you can do.

Jon

We could pray they don’t hurt themselves or others but once gold fever hits it’s all bets off .

 

[FrugalRefiner]

While those of us who have been here for a while know that Eco-goldex has been discussed, and Deano helped us to understand the underlying chemistry and suggested better alternatives, the OP, andy1987, just joined the forum a few days ago. Tesaygo has been here longer, but he's still relatively inexperienced. Until Deano explained things, members of this forum were trying to figure it out because the manufacturer doesn't really want anyone to "crack the code" and understand that at its core, it is a cyanide leach.

I Googled eco-goldex pdf. Here's the last page of the pdf I looked at:

Residual (tailing) Materials and Solution Treatment

Eco-goldex reagent concentration in residual solution is very low and is very low-toxic, the solution may still be alkaline, you may use lemon acid or Muriatic acid (HCl) to neutralize it before discharge into drain system.

Please follow your local government policy/regulation how to treat the residual materials.

Andy and tesago, while eco-goldex tries to imply that this is a low toxicity miracle solution, it is not. By all means, download the eco-goldex pdf and study it thoroughly. But understand that some of the instructions in the document are unsafe!

Use the forum's search function at the top of the page. Search for eco goldex or eco-goldex and you should find most of the threads on the subject.

Dave

 

[tesaygo]

Sorry guys. What i meant about alternative to cyanide is like China banned the use of sodium cyanide in gold processing instead they introduce their own chemical alternative to cyanide such as jinchan gold dressing and eco-goldex.
Sorry about the misunderstanding. But i think we are out of the topic.
We better just give the answer to our fellow member instead of carrying our own chair.

 

[butcher]

It does not matter what they call it.
Or how they try to promote it.
If you mix it with acid and you die from Hydrogen Cyanide gas poisoning.



We better just give the answer to our fellow member instead of carrying our own chair.

I think the members are trying to help to keep you from poisoning yourself, the saying about carrying our chairs I do not understand.

edit: correction in the naming of the Anion involved.

 

[andy1987]

What i knew about this new reagent is it was alternative for cyanide.

Per the underlined --- NOT true --- it - IS - cyanide - that is what dissolves the gold :!:

So treat it JUST LIKE cyanide :!: :!: :!:

It has been talked about MUCH here on the forum - I don't have time right now to do a search & post the search results here --- can someone please provide some search results for tesago - before he kills himself

Kurt

Thank you very much for your concern about the health of your colleagues in the forum.

I have also thought about the dangers but clearly in the instructions John Guo explains that after precipitating the gold and using the zinc powder wash repeatedly with distilled water to remove any trace of Eco-goldex in the mixture.

I also take the precautions of using a fume hood.

but clearly what I can tell you is that using Eco-goldex, from my point of view is a more ecological, fast, simply incredible compared to other processes where a high amount of acids is used. I plan to continue using Eco-goldex and I will continue posting all the advances that can be obtained.

After all I was able to extract my first gold nugget, I still have a lot to learn but my advice is to be very cautious with the use of any product and follow the safety instructions to avoid any danger.

I imagine, my golden nugget will not be much but for me it is a great breakthrough and motivates me to work much more ..

 

[tesaygo]

Nice andy. Keep continue, but always remember Safely first. Read and study before doing something else.

 

[Wizzlebiz]

Beyond the dangers already stated in this thread. I have read in multiple places as well as spoken directly to an employee fro goldex. Unless you are electrowinning, only 95% of the gold will precipitate. Leaving 5% that will need elctrowinning. Which is fine if you plan to move towards that area of refining. And have a large stock pot of this stuff.

 

[anachronism]

Beyond the dangers already stated in this thread. I have read in multiple places as well as spoken directly to an employee fro goldex. Unless you are electrowinning, only 95% of the gold will precipitate. Leaving 5% that will need elctrowinning. Which is fine if you plan to move towards that area of refining. And have a large stock pot of this stuff.

Why would zinc only precipitate 95% from a cyanide solution?

 

[Wizzlebiz]

Beyond the dangers already stated in this thread. I have read in multiple places as well as spoken directly to an employee fro goldex. Unless you are electrowinning, only 95% of the gold will precipitate. Leaving 5% that will need elctrowinning. Which is fine if you plan to move towards that area of refining. And have a large stock pot of this stuff.

Why would zinc only precipitate 95% from a cyanide solution?

Great question. I would assume proprietary blend has something that would cause this. I have not dissected the formula. I can only pass along what I am aware of.

 

[Eg.refiner]

What i knew about this new reagent is it was alternative for cyanide. And its procedure and process was just the same as cyanidation. you can you zinc dust or Activated carbon to recover the gold dissolve.
Then ashing of carbon then smelt then refining. For zinc acid washing using sulfuric acid then smelt, then refining whether using AR way or nitric acid boiling.

Does any one know how to Ashing activated carbon loaded with gold

 

[Yggdrasil]

Please do not double post.

I have not done it myself, but the idea is to convert
the carbon to CO₂ at a temperature
as low as possible to avoid the Gold volatilizing and
going up with the smoke.

I would guess somewhere around 250-300 centigrade, according to some tests done by Deano.
You will then end up with gold powder and ash.
It will need access to Oxygen/air.

Then refine with your preferred method.

 

[Deano]

The lower the temperature you ash at, the less gold losses you will have.

If you are looking to keep losses down to micrograms of gold, a millionth of a gram, then extended ashing at 300C is best.

For practical purposes most people ash at 600 - 650C overnight in an electric muffle furnace, losing a few milligrams is not worth worrying over when most balances used cannot even weight to the decimals needed to quantify such losses.

The most important aspect of ashing is the depth of the carbon bed, if it is deeper than around 1 cm you will blanket the carbon with ash and the reaction will need rabbling of the bed at intervals to get complete ashing.

The door of the furnace is cracked open about 1 cm to allow the air access needed for ashing to proceed.

Always best to use coarse piece activated carbon as per what the gold industry uses, fine powder type carbon will adsorb gold quickly but is very prone to blanketing during ashing.

Deano