How extract Gold & Silver from sulfuric acid solution?

[mrgspeed]

hello there

i have a sulfuric acid solution which contains 2.5% copper , 122 ppm Ag , 39 ppm Au with EC=18.04 ms/cm and pH=4 volume is around 1000 liters. these details came from a lab which is not related to the seller (i gave them a small sample). also apparently lab used AAS method

what is best(cheapest?) way to extract gold and silver from said solution? i also would like to separate gold and silver from eachother too in the end. any advice or helpful link and etc is greatly appreciated as im pretty new to this whole gold extract thing.

i live a a very arid and mostly warm environment if that matters in anyway.

Thank you in advance

P.S 2: this is almost how the solution looks like initially, this picture is when i evaporated like 50 % of water out of it



P.S i dried out about 1 liter of solution by pouring it in to a Becher and putting it in a warm place, (i also added a tiny amount of NaCl salt) it came out like this picture now:

 

[4metals]

Try adding metallic copper to the solution to cement the precious metals. Make sure you mix it well to assure contact of the solution with the copper.

 

[mrgspeed]

Try adding metallic copper to the solution to cement the precious metals. Make sure you mix it well to assure contact of the solution with the copper.

what do you mean by metallic copper exactly? will a piece of copper sheet (copper cathode) suffice if i put it in the solution and stir ? also how can i separate copper, Ag and Au from that each other afterwards?

thanks for the reply btw

 

[Martijn]

what do you mean by metallic copper exactly? will a piece of copper sheet (copper cathode) suffice if i put it in the solution and stir ? also how can i separate copper, Ag and Au from that each other afterwards?

thanks for the reply btw

It comes down to this:
https://goldrefiningforum.com/threads/when-in-doubt-cement-it-out.30236/
To separate gold from silver, do not melt it together!! The cemented dust can be treated to leach the silver out with nitric.

But first let me welcome you to the forum.

This is a dangerous craft and the toxic chemicals you will create have to be respected or it can (will) cost you your life or health.

Read, search and study. Before doing something ask us to check if you are on the right track.

Martijn.

 

[Yggdrasil]

hello there

i have a sulfuric acid solution which contains 2.5% copper , 122 ppm Ag , 39 ppm Au with EC=18.04 ms/cm and pH=4. volume is around 1000 liters

what is best(cheapest?) way to extract gold and silver from said solution? i also would like to separate gold and silver from eachother too in the end. any advice or helpful link and etc is greatly appreciated as im pretty new to this whole gold extract thing.

i live a a very arid and mostly warm environment if that matters in anyway.

Thank you in advance .

Welcome to us.

Since you are handling Chemicals you need to study.

Here are some links for your studies.

We ask our new members to do 3 things.
1. Read C.M. Hokes book on refining jewelers scrap, it gives an easy introduction to the most important chemistry regarding refining.
It is free here on the forum: Screen Readable Copy of Hoke's Book
2. Then read the safety section of the forum: Safety
3. And then read about "Dealing with waste" in the forum: Dealing with Waste

Suggested reading: The Library

https://goldrefiningforum.com/threads/gold-refining-forum-rules.31182/

 

[Yggdrasil]

hello there

i have a sulfuric acid solution which contains 2.5% copper , 122 ppm Ag , 39 ppm Au with EC=18.04 ms/cm and pH=4. volume is around 1000 liters

what is best(cheapest?) way to extract gold and silver from said solution? i also would like to separate gold and silver from eachother too in the end. any advice or helpful link and etc is greatly appreciated as im pretty new to this whole gold extract thing.

i live a a very arid and mostly warm environment if that matters in anyway.

Thank you in advance .

How did you obtain this liquid?
Did you create it yourself or did you buy it/find it or something else altogether?

 

[mrgspeed]

How did you obtain this liquid?
Did you create it yourself or did you buy it/find it or something else altogether?

i essentially got a sample of this liquid now, but i can buy entire thing from the seller because they dont know how to extract precious metals from it. they sell 1000 liters for around 200$ . i also added a picture to the first post

also i would like to thank everyone who commented so far, this forum is quite amazing ^ ^

 

[Martijn]

i essentially got a sample of this liquid now, but i can buy entire thing from the seller because they dont know how to extract precious metals from it. they sell 1000 liters for around 200$ . i also added a picture to the first post

also i would like to thank everyone who commented so far, this forum is quite amazing ^ ^

Sceptic, cynical paranoid me thinking... some questions:

How do you know the composition of the elements at ppm level?
How was that sample taken? From the bottom of a deep vessel? Or across the liquid to get a good honest average?
And that ppm number is in volume or mass? (probably a stupid question, but hey it's me)
I guess weight, so its 39 grams of gold(salt?) in 1000 liters of sulfuric goo.

I was wondering do you have elemental gold in ppm's or gold is in solution. So, which is it? And as which salt?
What else is in it? Anything hazardous?
Will they produce more?
What kind of process does the liquid come from?
Why are they trying to sell this to an unexperienced refiner?
Do the big boys ask for money to process it?
Any environmental issues to consider? / In which part of the world are you?
You need the whole picture to get a good advice on how to safely and responsibly process it and to see if you can make money, instead of loosing some.
or to get proper advice from us.

gold and silver cement need a liquid to drop to the bottom, your goo looks like peanut butter thickness, that will not work.

So concentration of the sulfuric and all other components need te be clear before you proceed on buying the whole batch.

Martijn.

 

[mrgspeed]

Sceptic, cynical paranoid me thinking... some questions:
Martijn.

How do you know the composition of the elements at ppm level?

i gave a small sample to a lab and got the results, i typed them in the first post. the lab said they used AAS (Atomic Absorption something) method

How was that sample taken?

sample was taken in front of me from top of the tank which contained the liquid, actually without stirring it. i guess because tank was big?! if i buy 1000 Lt it will be still mostly from top of the said tank not bottom.

And that ppm number is in volume or mass?

number in mass

I was wondering do you have elemental gold in ppm's or gold is in solution. So, which is it? And as which salt?

i do not know this at all.

What else is in it? Anything hazardous?

as far as i know, no . only hazardous thing is the sulfuric acid. i dont know other stuff as i only got info i typed in the first post from that lab

Will they produce more?

apparently slowly yes.

What kind of process does the liquid come from?
Why are they trying to sell this to an unexperienced refiner?

they dont tell me where exactly this is coming from , however, its not them trying to sell me this, i asked them to sell some of it to me .
its me who found out from lab results that the liquid has gold too.

Do the big boys ask for money to process it?

i honestly dont understand what does this mean at all

Any environmental issues to consider? / In which part of the world are you?

i am from middle east and no, i am literally in middle of desert in this area so honestly not many environmental issues .

gold and silver cement need a liquid to drop to the bottom, your goo looks like peanut butter thickness, that will not work

wait , the original liquid was like water with some green ink in it (color was like emeralds but lighter ), that peanut butter thing u see i made after i basically evaporated most of water out of it, i reduced volume of my sample from 1 liter to like 5CC then took picture that i sent in the first post, i uploaded 1 more picture to the first post.

 

[orvi]

If you can get it for this price, that´s bargain.. If it does not contain any other "hidden" junk, that they conveniently "forgot" to mention in their analysis. Like mercury, cadmium or some organic toxic stuff.

However, you need to ask more questions, to be sure you are safe. Mainly about some inorganic contaminants and organics in it - otherwise that would be risky business. Because you would also need to dispose that waste liquid somehow, and you need to be sure that there isn´t anything toxic and hard to deal with. Water can always be evaporated, that´s for sure. But the residue will also weigh would be significant, even if you drive off all of the bonded water from hydrates.

Fact that it turned into some goo after evaporation indicates that it probably lacks acidity and compounds are hydrated/hydrolysed. Is it a transparent liquid or it is already this gooey ?

I would try some process sample to begin with, say 10L or 20L, evaporate down to this goo, and then try to redissolve it and cement precious metals out.

 

[mrgspeed]

If you can get it for this price, that´s bargain.. If it does not contain any other "hidden" junk, that they conveniently "forgot" to mention in their analysis. Like mercury, cadmium or some organic toxic stuff.

However, you need to ask more questions, to be sure you are safe. Mainly about some inorganic contaminants and organics in it - otherwise that would be risky business. Because you would also need to dispose that waste liquid somehow, and you need to be sure that there isn´t anything toxic and hard to deal with. Water can always be evaporated, that´s for sure. But the residue will also weigh would be significant, even if you drive off all of the bonded water from hydrates.

Fact that it turned into some goo after evaporation indicates that it probably lacks acidity and compounds are hydrated/hydrolysed. Is it a transparent liquid or it is already this gooey ?

I would try some process sample to begin with, say 10L or 20L, evaporate down to this goo, and then try to redissolve it and cement precious metals out.

no it was a clear liquid, with a very pretty green (emerald color) look originally.

redissolve with water again ? then what is the point of evaporate it in the first place ?

thank you for help as well

 

[Yggdrasil]

no it was a clear liquid, with a very pretty green (emerald color) look originally.

redissolve with water again ? then what is the point of evaporate it in the first place ?

thank you for help as well

What do this company do?
Mining or some other processing?

 

[rickbb]

You evaporate "some" of the water to reduce the volume you have to work with. You don't evaporate it all the way to dry powder.

 

[mrgspeed]

What do this company do?
Mining or some other processing?

i think it is not even a proper "company". sellers are not giving me any info unfortunately (tho tbh i didn't tell them this water has so much gold in it either xD).

 

[Martijn]

i honestly dont understand what does this mean at all

If there is something nasty in there making the refineries ask a charge for processing it or discarding the waste.
Like PC monitors. They contain values but also junk that costs money to bring to a waste plant. So you are charged for turning it in in stead of getting payed. At least that's here in the Netherlands.

But you are asking so it's your initiative. No worries then i guess.

i am from middle east and no, i am literally in middle of desert in this area so honestly not many environmental issues

My question was more about what is in the solution that might need attention to not pollute your environment. Even if it is just sand.
You need more info about it.
The country question was to gauge the general level of environmental awareness of your region. As some regions are less aware or educated about what are polluting activities and how to control the risks. Southern asia e.g. is notorious for big freaking red clouds made by guys on flipflops in shorts, spilling chemicals on the ground. Buying chemicals for next to nothing (a bit jealous, yeah) and treating it wasteful.

Martijn.

Edited for spelling.

 

[Martijn]

wait , the original liquid was like water with some green ink in it (color was like emeralds but lighter ), that peanut butter thing u see i made after i basically evaporated most of water out of it, i reduced volume of my sample from 1 liter to like 5CC then took picture that i sent in the first post, i uploaded 1 more picture to the first post.

Then there is not much sulfuric in it and you now have metal salts and more concentrated sulfuric acid, since that does not evaporate until it's really hot, like 300 degrees C or more.
Dilute it again, filter it and hang in a piece of copper. If any black or grey powder forms, you will get your precious metals out. Read the link I gave you about cementing.

 

[mrgspeed]

Then there is not much sulfuric in it and you now have metal salts and more concentrated sulfuric acid, since that does not evaporate until it's really hot, like 300 degrees C or more.
Dilute it again, filter it and hang in a piece of copper. If any black or grey powder forms, you will get your precious metals out. Read the link I gave you about cementing.

thank you very much for help
also i am sure most people from asia / middle east countries are jealous of so many more things from Netherlands in the end.

also quick question why "filter"

 

[Yggdrasil]

thank you very much for help
also i am sure most people from asia / middle east countries are jealous of so many more things from Netherlands in the end.

also quick question why "filter"

To remove the trash you do not want with your end product.
Any valuables will be in a fine powder form so it is not possible to separate form the gunk.

 

[mrgspeed]

To remove the trash you do not want with your end product.
Any valuables will be in a fine powder form so it is not possible to separate form the gunk.

so , if i get more solution, should i evaporate water again until i reach the goo state then dilute and cement ? or just straight start cementing when i get new solution sample.

 

[Yggdrasil]

so , if i get more solution, should i evaporate water again until i reach the goo state then dilute and cement ? or just straight start cementing when i get new solution sample.

Add some water and filter until crystal clear, then check the pH and if lower than 4 (Or just add a few ml of HCl)
put in a piece of Copper plate and stir.