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Rreyes097

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So I used nitric and distilled water to dissolve random pins fingers and whatnot and then I let dissolve with heat. Then filtered got all of the foils and pieces put into a beaker ran hydrochloric acid and roughly 5 ml of nitric. Maybe a little bit more since it wasn't working the gold is still not dissolving and now I have yellow foam on black liquid please see picture. What am I wrong?IMG_20210818_171422357.jpg
 
Rreyes097 said:
So I used nitric and distilled water to dissolve random pins fingers and whatnot and then I let dissolve with heat. Then filtered got all of the foils and pieces put into a beaker ran hydrochloric acid and roughly 5 ml of nitric. Maybe a little bit more since it wasn't working the gold is still not dissolving and now I have yellow foam on black liquid please see picture. What am I wrong?
Click to expand...

Per the underlined - Did you use the so called "eco friendly" HCl which some stores are now selling ?

If so - that is likely the problem - they have put "inhibitors" in (& I believe surfactants/soap) in the eco friendly HCl

Example of eco friendly HCl

:arrow: https://www.menards.com/main/paint/concrete-blacktop-sealers/concrete-cleaners/green-envy-reg-muriatic-acid-replacement/610g1/p-1444444213107.htm

Green Envy Muriatic Acid is an inhibited, non-fuming hydrogen-chloride solution that safely etches concrete and cleans brick and masonry. It produces 90% less fumes and is safer to use than Muriatic Acid.

Kurt
 
I have a hunch its not the hcl but i could be wrong. I think whatever was in your stuff of pins and what you called "whatnot" had aluminum in it. It would stay in the foils and rest of the junk through nitric. Then you filtered out and tried to dissolve in with hcl added. Aluminum will do that with foam and the black percipitant. And that color would be accurate under those conditions.
 
I looked at that link and no my HCl doesn't look like that. The stuff I bought looks justs like the stuff I've always bought. From home Depot. I used muriatic acid. Isn't that what is used? I think it says something about 90% less fumes. Is this the right stuff? And where do I get the right stuff? This is the pic of the same stuff I used. Is it wrong?
 

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If indeed it is aluminum that’s causing the problem by consuming the acid and you are sure the HCl is good, add some more HCl as if you still have free nitric this should dissolve your gold.
 
Rreyes097 said:
I looked at that link and no my HCl doesn't look like that. The stuff I bought looks justs like the stuff I've always bought. From home Depot. I used muriatic acid. Isn't that what is used? I think it says something about 90% less fumes. Is this the right stuff? And where do I get the right stuff? This is the pic of the same stuff I used. Is it wrong?
Click to expand...

per the underlined & based on the pic you provided --- that is the so called "eco friendly" HCl

Three things tell you it is the "eco friendly" HCl

1) it says Klean Strip GREEN - Klean Strip is the brand - GREEN indicates it is eco friendly (like green energy or the green new deal)

2) the words "muriatic acid" are in green

3) 90% less fumes - that tells you they have added the "inhibitors" to it

are you sure that is the same HCl you have used before ?

or did you use this HCl before

:arrow: https://www.lowes.com/pd/Klean-Strip-Klean-Strip-Muriatic-Acid-1-Gl/1002858920?cm_mmc=shp-_-c-_-prd-_-pnt-_-bing-_-pla-_-133-_-1002858920-_-0&kpid&placeholder=null&gclid=e5da3d573d781235678e5c4853301755&gclsrc=3p.ds&ds_rl=1286981&msclkid=e5da3d573d781235678e5c4853301755

Same brand but two different labels/products

The "red label" stuff is "normal" HCl (& the stuff you should use)

The GREEN label is the "eco friendly" stuff (& should NOT be what you use)

Stores will have both kinds on the same shelf - so if you are not careful you can end up grabbing the wrong stuff

I have "never" used the "eco friendly" stuff so I don't know if &/or how it works compared to normal/regular HCl

So I also do not know if &/or what kind of problems it "may" cause &/or how to fix any problems it "may" cause

Kurt
 
Thank you for the picture. Although I can't find it at home Depot. All they have is that original bottle that I had and I swear that looks exactly like the bottles I've always got but I understand and I see the differences. Where else can I get it if I look on Amazon they're trying to sell stuff that's way expensive. And I don't have a Lowe's in my town. I do not know what to do!
 
You want full regular muriatic acid,not the stuff with buffers. You should also slow down and study the forum.
You are probably spending more on chemicals than the results of what your processing. And safety.
 
I've been doing this for awhile but haven't done it in awhile. I assure you that I'm being safe and constantly reading the forum on many various topics. I have Good understanding of the processes I'm using. But thanks for the advice. And why do you think I'm spending more on chemicals then I'm producing? What did I say that would give you that idea? I'm not a professional by any means. But when I first started doing this I just practiced the various techniques, and didn't concern myself with profit. But now I'm more conscientious about how much I spend on getting the gold. This run was a trail run to re familiarize myself with all this before I start the big batches. I'm also about to do a sulphuric cell.
 
Well it might not have been the best use of chemicals but doesn't mean I'm not being safe. And I was just doing a small batch to get them out of the way VIA nitric I was going for time and not money on that. I just put a bunch of odds and ends in there.
 
Have you tested with stannous to see if you have dissolved any gold? If you had other metals like aluminium present the gold might have cemented out again and the liquid is barren.

I've always used clean hydrochloric acid so I can't tell you what to do. One way that often works to save a mess is cement on copper, separate solids from the barren liquid, incinerate the solids and then restart with fresh chemicals..

If you have the setup for it, you could probably use distillation to get clean hydrochloric acid from the green stuff.

Göran
 

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