Newbie screw up

[Erbowman]

I got anxious and wanted to see all the gold I recovered. I dissolved what I had into muriatic acid and chlorine. Didn't wait long enough then messed up again and put too much stump out into solution. Now I have white looking precipitate at bottom of solution.
My question is what can I do to fix this.....

 

[MarcoP]

Your post is missing some infos about the feedstock and what have you done with it before you started the recovery process and if stannous chloride was used to test the presence of PMs.

 

[Erbowman]

Your post is missing some infos about the feedstock and what have you done with it before you started the recovery process and if stannous chloride was used to test the presence of PMs.

Again learning as I go reading and trying to learn process. The original gold is mostly from boards/ memory pins ect. I used muriatic acid/ H2O2 soln to remove gold foils. I attempted to clean but now realize I probably didnt do that well enough. I then placed substances in muriatic acid and bleach soln to dissolve. Had nice gold colored liquid. I only waited 20 min or so before adding the SMB( dumb mistake I know now)
My main question now is there a way to salvage the gold if its in the precipitate and start over? Thanks

No I dont have any stannous cloride

I am sure there is solder and maybe tin in there. I didnt realize importance of good clean runs of gold

 

[MarcoP]

First of all I would make some stannous chloride, test if you have gold in solution and go from there.

Download Hoke, the book will tell you how to do that.

 

[Erbowman]

I downloaded the book today going to read tonight. What about the white sediment in solution. Any thoughts. THanks for reply

 

[MarcoP]

Overusing SMB will definitely drop CuCl along the gold powder. Standard washing procedures will get rid of it.

 

[Erbowman]

thanks will give it a try

 

[Anonymous]

You could also try diluting the solution with water. The white precipitate could simply be salt.

 

[Erbowman]

Will try dilution as well

 

[solar_plasma]

Call me being harsh, but anybody who tries this without testing skills should stop immediately and read the basics for some month. This would also be the advice I would have given to myself one year before I found this forum.

 

[MarcoP]

Call me being harsh, but anybody who tries this without testing skills should stop immediately and read the basics for some month. This would also be the advice I would have given to myself one year before I found this forum.

I've tried to help without giving straight how to, just hints and keywords. It seems hard to me that searching the forum wouldn't come up with another newbie screwup topic and advices given (put things aside and study) or topics about safety (or the new member be at leat curious about it).

We can only hope a new member would listen our boring safety lessons that may save his own life, being a parent of two almost teenagers I've learned quite few things.

Reading other newbie screwup posts, and their reply was more then enough for me to do things right, I just showed Erbowman Search Boulevard and now I'm curious if it did worked or not.

You haven't been harsh at all, you went straight to the point in less then two lines.

 

[kurtak]

Erbowman

First let me say welcome the forum - next let me say this is NOT something you learn by watching a few you tube videos or reading a couple instructibles or asking a few questions --- this is something that takes A LOT of research & study

Most important is that you understand the dangers of doing this (they are very real) & how to deal with the waste you are creating (its toxic) you can't just dump it

You have already been told to down load & read Hokes - do it till you understand it - in other words don't just read it - study it :!:

As a new member here you should also read this :arrow: http://goldrefiningforum.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=67&t=19074 or you could find your time here shot lived (at the worst) or the help you get limited (at best) by not following this warning

Next you should look at this info :arrow: http://goldrefiningforum.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=67&t=21374 as it will help you with the research you need to do

Again welcome to the forum - this is the very best source of info on refining anywhere in the world bar none period

Kurt

 

[Erbowman]

I don't take these comments as harsh. In my post I admitted I messed up. I started doing this hobby before I found this board so I am here to gain insight and knowledge not to pursecute or be arrogant. If I am doing something wrong or need to read more on a subject just simply tell me like advice above. I am still reading the book I downloaded before I proceed with anything else. Thanks for all the replies.

 

[rickbb]

Like others have said, set the solution aside for now and do some reading.

You said you dissolved some gold with HCL/CL, (muriatic and bleach), then added "stump out", why stump out?

Stump out is potassium nitrate, it's used as a substitute for nitric acid to make poor mans AR, which also dissolves gold. It does not precipitate it out.

You can dissolve gold with either method, not both. Either use HCL/CL or AR, (hint HCL/CL is easier and best used on gold foils recovered from e-scrap).

Your gold is still there, it can wait until you know a little more about what to do, and more important what not to do.

 

[g_axelsson]

There are some brands of stump out that contains either sodium or potassium meta bisulfite, but it's far from all that does.

Göran

 

[rickbb]

I should remember that not every place has the same brands/types of stump out that is available to me.

 

[FrugalRefiner]

I can buy both. Spectracide brand is potassium nitrate. Bonide brand is sodium metabisulfite.

Dave

 

[Erbowman]

Mine is the bonide brand from which what I have read is the one to purchase

 

[MarcoP]

A must to read post by 4metals Waste treatment for the small refiner.

 

[galenrog]

To find our if your brand of stump-out has SMB, refer to the MSDS (Material Data Safety Sheet) that should be attached to the container. Even within the same brand, active ingredients may vary from one region to another due to local regulations.