Inquarting, but need advice regarding "poorman's AR"

[1mysurveymail]

Hello,

I have been busy on other projects, but am circling back to some 18k that I need to inquart first. My question stems from my necessity to refine the inquarted Au with poorman's AR. I understand that inquarting using 92.5% silver (sterling) may be a better way to proceed.

Then when I use the Poorman's AR to refine the 6k I expect to encounter silver chloride. This will be difficult to filter or decant out. Any advice?

From previous refines I have been reserving the silver chloride until I have enough to use the NaOH and Karo method, but this is uncharted territory for me. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks

 

[lanfear]

Can you make poor mans nitric? That is a process where you use nitrate salt and H2SO4 in a solution of water to produce the nitric. If not, then you should not inquart with silver. You May be able to inquart with copper and then use poor mans AR in small doses uintill you have most of the base metalls dissolved. This will require alot of testing with stannous to make shure you dont have gold in the solution you pour off.
And you will produce dirty gold that needs to be refined several times.

 

[lanfear]

It will also take alot of time, because you need to lett the gold cement back out after every acid digestion. There will be losses, so the stock pot will be essential to catch it all.

 

[lanfear]

I Just now noticed that it was 18K. I think that is possible to digest in AR without inquarting, but Someone else needs to verify that. I dont have any experience with that.

 

[1mysurveymail]

I Just now noticed that it was 18K. I think that is possible to digest in AR without inquarting, but Someone else needs to verify that. I dont have any experience with that.

Thanks LANFEAR,

Yes it is 18k. I have used "Poorman's AR" (nitrate salt and HCl + heat) to dissolve carat gold before, but it always seems to take a lot MORE addition of the nitrate (and heat) to drive the reaction to completion. Plus a seemingly inordinate amount of time. In the past, I would have a standby amount of Au already refined (but in powdered form) to add to the solution to drive off as much of the excess "nitric" in solution, then once cooled, I would further "DENOXX" with Sulfamic acid crystals ((read the label) grout cleaner)). My drops were usually fast and heavy. Then decanted. My stannous tests mostly showed barren solutions, but if not, I would used thick copper to cement out whatever was left in solution.

The source of my "NITRATE SALT" for my poorman's AR is from "Spectracide Stump Remover."



Any other thoughts on whether or not I should, "inquart" and / or use sterling, or just copper? I know if I inquart with copper it will be a dirty green batch of Poorman's AR...

I am prepared to go forward with either .999 silver or Sterling (92.5%) and deal with the silver chloride, either way. I just would like it to go fast, consume less chemicals, and be a clean drop. All worthy goals of a frugal refiner (wink,wink).

 

[nickvc]

Which ever route you choose you will encounter silver chloride, you can dissolve 18k directly in AR normally as it’s silver content is usually low, if it’s green gold then don’t do it as it’s silver content is higher, if you intend to inquart then use sterling as if the chloride is rinsed properly you should get high grade silver at the end so killing two birds with one stone.