Need help. Used too much nitric acid and my gold foils appear to have been lost in the solution
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Martijn
Well-known member
Let the free nitric be consumed by a piece of gold. Weigh it before and after.
Or add a piece of copper and start over after all is cemented out like in the stockpot. Or,
Add more foils to consume the free nitric. Or,
Distill or boil the free nitric out.
Some options.
Martijn.
Or add a piece of copper and start over after all is cemented out like in the stockpot. Or,
Add more foils to consume the free nitric. Or,
Distill or boil the free nitric out.
Some options.
Martijn.
Martijn
Well-known member
The comment about too much free nitric and dissolved foils leads to my assumption that there is too much HNO3 in HCL.
If you have processed the fingers from ten ram sticks you should have some visible gold power after precipitation. But you most likely have gold in solution. Thats pretty obviously present on ram fingers.
Try the options I gave. Others might pitch in with better remedies.
Have you read hoke's or the waste treatment section on this forum? It explains a lot.
Martijn.
If you have processed the fingers from ten ram sticks you should have some visible gold power after precipitation. But you most likely have gold in solution. Thats pretty obviously present on ram fingers.
Try the options I gave. Others might pitch in with better remedies.
Have you read hoke's or the waste treatment section on this forum? It explains a lot.
Martijn.
What did a stannous chloride test show?
Dave
Dave
I'm rather new but have been successful my previous times. This time I did as I normally do I processed gold plated connector pins with nitric diluted with water. All the pins have digested and there is only maybe 2 or 3 specks of gold floating. I'm assuming my nitric was too concentrated I broke the gold rule and rushed this one thinking I could get the mix right first shot instead of little by little. That's why I assume it had too much concentrate in the mixture. I started with 84 grams of non magnetic all identical pins from the same source. Any tips or pointers are greatly appreciated. I'll start by pouring off into a few different flasks and try each suggestion I've received. Really appreciate the input, didnt think I would get a response so quick you guys are great. Oh and also stannous text came up negative
I just downloaded Hokes book yesterday and trying to find some info. Wanted to try here also. The jug I used is the one I use strictly for recovery with no variable chemicals. Also has been cleaned, but could that not be enough? Is there a more proper way to clean other than hot water?
If you are using city water treated with chlorine, the little bit of chlorine could have put gold into the nitric acid solution if the gold has not already cemented out of solution already (black powder) then adding more copper and heat will displace gold from the solution.
Gold will not dissolve in nitric acid alone, no matter how much you use, city water can contain chlorides or chlorine which with nitric makes a form of aqua regia in solution.
Gold will not dissolve in nitric acid alone, no matter how much you use, city water can contain chlorides or chlorine which with nitric makes a form of aqua regia in solution.
It’s also possible that if the reaction was violent that the gold broke into many many fine pieces which will be hard to see, add some water and allow it to stand and see if you get a sediment on the bottom of your beaker.
Another option if that doesn’t work is add some Hcl to dissolve any values and cement out the gold using copper sheet.
Another option if that doesn’t work is add some Hcl to dissolve any values and cement out the gold using copper sheet.
JJ1017 said:
Add some solid metallic copper and something to provide some agitation in the solution. The gold in the solution needs to come in contact with the copper for it to cement out.
Dave
jarlowski1
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- Dec 20, 2013
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"Purified drinking" water can still contain chlorine even though they filter it through a carbon filter. You should use distilled water.
The copper needs to be clean and as pure as possible, you can burn off any paint or oils with a torch if needed and sand or brush the surface clean and shining.
The copper pipe should be cut lengthwise and flattened out (so it does not trap values inside the pipe.
The larger and thicker the bar of copper the less chance for it to fall to pieces. The copper wire will work but it has more of a chance of coming apart and leaving small pieces of copper in your cemented powders to deal with later.
Buss bars of copper from electrical panels are large thick bars of copper metal that work well.
With the copper bar hanging in solution, any metal less reactive than copper, or more valuable than copper will trade places with the copper.
The gold ions in solution that come into direct contact with the copper bus bar will take electrons from an atom of copper (on the bar) the gold ion (or salt) will now become a full atom of gold metal, it will join other gold atoms to be a large enough cluster and gain in size to overcome the gravity of the solution and fall to the bottom of the vessel.
the reduced gold may lightly cling to the copper buss bar as black powder or fall to the bottom of the vessel as a precipitated gold metal powder, the copper atom giving up its electrons to gold go into solution as a salt of copper or copper ions...
The copper pipe should be cut lengthwise and flattened out (so it does not trap values inside the pipe.
The larger and thicker the bar of copper the less chance for it to fall to pieces. The copper wire will work but it has more of a chance of coming apart and leaving small pieces of copper in your cemented powders to deal with later.
Buss bars of copper from electrical panels are large thick bars of copper metal that work well.
With the copper bar hanging in solution, any metal less reactive than copper, or more valuable than copper will trade places with the copper.
The gold ions in solution that come into direct contact with the copper bus bar will take electrons from an atom of copper (on the bar) the gold ion (or salt) will now become a full atom of gold metal, it will join other gold atoms to be a large enough cluster and gain in size to overcome the gravity of the solution and fall to the bottom of the vessel.
the reduced gold may lightly cling to the copper buss bar as black powder or fall to the bottom of the vessel as a precipitated gold metal powder, the copper atom giving up its electrons to gold go into solution as a salt of copper or copper ions...
Really appreciate all this info you guys have been great. One last question do I need to add any more to the solution or put the copper in as the solution stands. Once again appreciate all the input. I'll give it a go and respond with updates, cant thank you guys enough
Just make sure the solution is at least slightly acidic, this is normally not a problem with the solutions we are working with they are normally extremely acidic.
Just hang the copper bar in solution and stir often.
You can use an aquarium air pump to agitate the solution, although stirring often will work just as well.
Any powder that clings to the copper bar can be brushed off with a toothbrush back into solution and let it settle with the rest of you values before decanting solution from your valuable powders.
Just hang the copper bar in solution and stir often.
You can use an aquarium air pump to agitate the solution, although stirring often will work just as well.
Any powder that clings to the copper bar can be brushed off with a toothbrush back into solution and let it settle with the rest of you values before decanting solution from your valuable powders.
