I'm REALLY new

[Macker]

Hi all,

Ok Iv never done any kind of refining, or know much about chemicals. I'm looking to start doing some refining at home on the side. So I'm looking for info on cheap kits, chemicals and best guides and tips of what to do. Will be much appricated by my good self.

 

[Geo]

start with this free download, read it well and reference it often.http://tinyurl.com/mfnyhs

 

[FrugalRefiner]

Macker,

Welcome to the forum!

You can learn everything you need to know about recovering and refining precious metals right here on this forum. You will have to work for it though. There is much to know to do this safely so you have a lot of studying ahead of you.

Geo has provided a link to an excellent refining book - it's considered to be sort of a bible around here. I would also recommend taking the Guided Tour created by lazersteve.

Take some time to get familiar with the forum's format and learn to use the search functions to find answers to questions. If you get stuck or don't understand something, just ask.

Dave

 

[twisted77]

im trying to figure out the simplist way of processing my black powder. do i have to desolve it??? or can i just dilute it with water add some baking soda untill it can be filterd and let dry??? or does it have to be desolved? and what is the simplest way? thanks for any responses.... Bruce

 

[jimdoc]

im trying to figure out the simplist way of processing my black powder. do i have to desolve it??? or can i just dilute it with water add some baking soda untill it can be filterd and let dry??? or does it have to be desolved? and what is the simplest way? thanks for any responses.... Bruce

How did you get this black powder? A sulphuric cell?

Jim

 

[twisted77]

im trying to figure out the simplist way of processing my black powder. do i have to desolve it??? or can i just dilute it with water add some baking soda untill it can be filterd and let dry??? or does it have to be desolved? and what is the simplest way? thanks for any responses.... Bruce

How did you get this black powder? A sulphuric cell?

Jim

Yes Jim

 

[Geo]

dissolve the powder with hcl/Cl. hcl (muriatic acid) can be bought at any hardware store and Cl (household bleach) can be bought at any supermarket. add the hcl first (just enough to cover the material) and then add the bleach a few drops at a time (a dripper works good for this). chlorine gas will be evolved, so do this outside and away from people and plants of interest. stop adding when the powder is dissolved. solution may be green if it is contaminated. this is of little importance at this time. allow the solution to sit out uncovered overnight so the chlorine can evaporate. when you get back to it, filter the solution through a couple of coffee filters to remove any trash into a clean glass vessel and double the volume of solution with water. add SMB (sodium metabisulfite) in a solution of water. if you have 10 grams of powder, add 10 grams of SMB. stir well. watch for a reaction. if the solution is very contaminated (very green) you may not see a change. wait a few hours and the gold should be in a brown powder on the bottom of the vessel. follow with the correct washes and rinses and perhaps repeat the dissolution and washes and rinses for really pure gold.

good luck

 

[twisted77]

dissolve the powder with hcl/Cl. hcl (muriatic acid) can be bought at any hardware store and Cl (household bleach) can be bought at any supermarket. add the hcl first (just enough to cover the material) and then add the bleach a few drops at a time (a dripper works good for this). chlorine gas will be evolved, so do this outside and away from people and plants of interest. stop adding when the powder is dissolved. solution may be green if it is contaminated. this is of little importance at this time. allow the solution to sit out uncovered overnight so the chlorine can evaporate. when you get back to it, filter the solution through a couple of coffee filters to remove any trash into a clean glass vessel and double the volume of solution with water. add SMB (sodium metabisulfite) in a solution of water. if you have 10 grams of powder, add 10 grams of SMB. stir well. watch for a reaction. if the solution is very contaminated (very green) you may not see a change. wait a few hours and the gold should be in a brown powder on the bottom of the vessel. follow with the correct washes and rinses and perhaps repeat the dissolution and washes and rinses for really pure gold.

good luck

thank you jim. i was hoping i would not have to do that being in an apartment(fumes) but thank you for the help much appreciated Sir.

 

[Harold_V]

i was hoping i would not have to do that being in an apartment(fumes) but thank you for the help much appreciated Sir.

You were talking with Geo, not Jim. Both are great guys!
You can simply melt the black powder, but I do not recommend that course of action. It isn't pure gold, and will be all the more difficult to process once melted. If your objective is to sell the resulting product, you may get just as much from an impure button as you would one refined to high purity. Let your objective make the decision for you, but, remember, gold that is already finely divided (the black powder) is very easy to dissolve as compared to a button.

Harold

 

[twisted77]

i was hoping i would not have to do that being in an apartment(fumes) but thank you for the help much appreciated Sir.

You were talking with Geo, not Jim. Both are great guys!
You can simply melt the black powder, but I do not recommend that course of action. It isn't pure gold, and will be all the more difficult to process once melted. If your objective is to sell the resulting product, you may get just as much from an impure button as you would one refined to high purity. Let your objective make the decision for you, but, remember, gold that is already finely divided (the black powder) is very easy to dissolve as compared to a button.

Harold

Opps Didnt Realize That. Sorry GEO Thank You For Your Advice Sir!!! And Yours Aswell Harold. So Harold You Suggest Doing What GEO And Jim Said? Its Just That Im Worried About Fumes In The Apartment. And Being New To This It Freaks Me Out Abit. I Want To Learn More Than Anything Though. Someone Told Me To Mix Black Powder And Borax 50/50 And The Impurities Would Rise To The Top In The Melt. And Once Cooled Can Be Tapped Off With A Hammer (Slag)??? Not Sure If This Is True. But I For Sure Want The Pure Gold. So Im Stuck On What To Do??? Thanx For The Input Though Its Nice To See That People Care And Are Willing To Share There Well Earned Info!!! Thanx Bruce

 

[Geo]

Bruce, never process with chemicals in your living space. if a fume hood isnt an option, at least do it outside, maybe at a family members house or a close friend you can trust. if you follow my directions, there will be some chlorine gas, too much for indoors in a living space but very little when done outside. what ever you decide, be sure you understand what you are doing and a good expectation of the outcome.

you cant refine gold with just borax.

 

[twisted77]

Bruce, never process with chemicals in your living space. if a fume hood isnt an option, at least do it outside, maybe at a family members house or a close friend you can trust. if you follow my directions, there will be some chlorine gas, too much for indoors in a living space but very little when done outside. what ever you decide, be sure you understand what you are doing and a good expectation of the outcome.

you cant refine gold with just borax.

ok. Thank You GEO. Where Would You Get sodium metabisulfite from? and i guess you can handle and wieght the gold powder? so you can add the right amount of sodium metabisulfite.

 

[jimdoc]

You can get sodium metabisulfite from a wine making supply store.

Jim

 

[twisted77]

You can get sodium metabisulfite from a wine making supply store.

Jim

Thank You Jim.

 

[twisted77]

Bruce, never process with chemicals in your living space. if a fume hood isnt an option, at least do it outside, maybe at a family members house or a close friend you can trust. if you follow my directions, there will be some chlorine gas, too much for indoors in a living space but very little when done outside. what ever you decide, be sure you understand what you are doing and a good expectation of the outcome.

you cant refine gold with just borax.

So GEO, should i filter the black powder and let it dry. and then follow your steps to desolve with muratic acid and clorox etc?

 

[Geo]

i dont filter gold powder. it ties up gold in the filter. let the powder settle for as long as it takes for the solution to become clear, then slowly pour the solution off into another glass container. you said its from a sulfuric stripping cell. place a glass container in a glass plate and gently pour the acid from the cell into the container. try to leave all the powder in the cell. leave a small amount of acid with the powder (you cant pour it all off without pouring off the powder). add a couple hundred ml's of water to another glass container that can withstand high temps like a coffee pot or lab beaker, slowly add the powder with the small amount of acid to the water. this will create quite a bit of heat so go slow and keep checking. depending on the volume, it can bring the water to a boil quickly.

let this sit a couple of days for the powder to settle. follow with a couple of water rinses letting the powder settle each time. on the final rinse, decant water down to the powder and you are good to go with the refining part.

 

[twisted77]

i dont filter gold powder. it ties up gold in the filter. let the powder settle for as long as it takes for the solution to become clear, then slowly pour the solution off into another glass container. you said its from a sulfuric stripping cell. place a glass container in a glass plate and gently pour the acid from the cell into the container. try to leave all the powder in the cell. leave a small amount of acid with the powder (you cant pour it all off without pouring off the powder). add a couple hundred ml's of water to another glass container that can withstand high temps like a coffee pot or lab beaker, slowly add the powder with the small amount of acid to the water. this will create quite a bit of heat so go slow and keep checking. depending on the volume, it can bring the water to a boil quickly.

let this sit a couple of days for the powder to settle. follow with a couple of water rinses letting the powder settle each time. on the final rinse, decant water down to the powder and you are good to go with the refining part.

Ok GEO So do this above first. then go to the muratic acid and clorox part that you told me yesterday. and then you can melt your powder. and then the powder should be a tan or brown color i am assuming. Thank you so much for sharing this with me GEO. its hard for me to ask people for help, i truly do appreciate it all you guys!!!

 

[Geo]

yes, this part is called recovery. when you use the stripping cell, you are recovering gold from gold plate. it will always be contaminated from this process. refining follows recovery. you refine by dissolving the gold along with any impurity's and then precipitating just the gold and (hopefully) leaving the impurity's behind in the solution. SO2 gas (sulfur dioxide) will precipitate the gold from solution selectively, meaning it will precipitate the gold and leave the other metals in solution. we use sodium metabisulfite or sodium sulfite (do not mistake this for metabisulfate or any other sulfate) a source of this chemical is "Bonide" brand stump remover. do not get "spectracide" brand as it is a different chemical. be sure to read the label before using, it must contain sodium sulfite. another chemical that will selectively precipitate gold is "copperas" (ferrous sulfate). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/copperas
many members use this chemical.it is sold in most home improvement stores in the lawn and garden center.

after you dissolve the gold using the muriatic acid and clorox and let the chlorine evaporate out of solution, you will use either of these chemicals to precipitate the gold from solution.you can dissolve the gold and precipitate it over and over and each time it gets more pure leaving impurity's behind. though normally two dissolution's and following Harolds wash's and rinse's will have you producing pure gold quickly.

 

[maynman1751]

after you dissolve the gold using the muriatic acid and clorox and let the chlorine evaporate out of solution, you will use either of these chemicals to precipitate the gold from solution.you can dissolve the gold and precipitate it over and over and each time it gets more pure leaving impurity's behind. though normally two dissolution's and following Harolds wash's and rinse's will have you producing pure gold quickly.

Follow these extra steps that Geo has pointed out. The washing and re-refining are important if you want a quality product. Otherwise your gold will still be contaminated and not nearly as valuable.

 

[twisted77]

yes, this part is called recovery. when you use the stripping cell, you are recovering gold from gold plate. it will always be contaminated from this process. refining follows recovery. you refine by dissolving the gold along with any impurity's and then precipitating just the gold and (hopefully) leaving the impurity's behind in the solution. SO2 gas (sulfur dioxide) will precipitate the gold from solution selectively, meaning it will precipitate the gold and leave the other metals in solution. we use sodium metabisulfite or sodium sulfite (do not mistake this for metabisulfate or any other sulfate) a source of this chemical is "Bonide" brand stump remover. do not get "spectracide" brand as it is a different chemical. be sure to read the label before using, it must contain sodium sulfite. another chemical that will selectively precipitate gold is "copperas" (ferrous sulfate). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/copperas
many members use this chemical.it is sold in most home improvement stores in the lawn and garden center.

after you dissolve the gold using the muriatic acid and clorox and let the chlorine evaporate out of solution, you will use either of these chemicals to precipitate the gold from solution.you can dissolve the gold and precipitate it over and over and each time it gets more pure leaving impurity's behind. though normally two dissolution's and following Harolds wash's and rinse's will have you producing pure gold quickly.

Ok Thank You Sir. I Appreciate Your Wealth Of Knowledge And For Sharing With A Complete Stranger... Thank You Thank You Everyone. You Guys Rock. Have A Great Weekend. And Ill Let You No The Out Come!!! Bruce