Hi i am new to refining and using this forum too.I have just attempted to precipitate a batch of 9 carrot gold dissolved in AR. I ended up with a beaker of green liquid after dissolving the alloy,i then filtered it and got some powder left behind in the filter which i assume is silver chloride,i then took a small amount off my green liquid into another beaker and added SMB sulfate (too much i think) and i now have some gold flakes floating on top off the beaker with some more at the bottom and plenty off black,brown particles mixed in with it.What is this black,brown stuff and how do i get rid off it,I was going to add some nitric acid but i will wait for an answer first. Plus what's the best way to neutralize AR of any excess acid after dissolving my gold in it.
precipitation using SMB
- Thread starter seemik
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Geo
Well-known member
did you test with stannous chloride? you should test to make sure you still have gold in solution. also you should have tested before you tried to precipitate. if there was any base metal left after the dissolution, theres a chance (a very good chance) that your gold cemented back out of solution and that was the powder you filtered out at the beginning. testing is our friend. it lets us know what is in our solutions so we dont spend time and resources trying to find something thats not there.
maynman1751
Well-known member
The black/brown could be some of your gold. In a dirty solution that is the way the gold precipitates. I would try to sink the floating gold, decant the liquid(do not dispose yet) and redissolve with HCl/Cl (Hydrochloric/bleach). Let the solution set overnight to let the chlorine leave and drop again with SMB. Let us know how it goes.
You should never dissolve your gold with the base metals. Karat gold should be inquarted and leached in nitric, to remove base metals, before using the AR. You need to do more reading and studying of the processes before you attempt any more procedures. Have you read Hokes book? If not you should! Go to one of LazerSteves posts and read everything that is below his signature line. That will be a good start.
And by all means get some stannous!
You should never dissolve your gold with the base metals. Karat gold should be inquarted and leached in nitric, to remove base metals, before using the AR. You need to do more reading and studying of the processes before you attempt any more procedures. Have you read Hokes book? If not you should! Go to one of LazerSteves posts and read everything that is below his signature line. That will be a good start.
And by all means get some stannous!
Thanks
I will make sure i do some studying ,some watching vidios,and get some stannous before attempting the main batch,and next time i won't dissolve the base metals along with the AU.I did go back to my 2 beakers and 1 was as i left it with the AU and black stuff in the bottom,the other with my left over liquid plus the water which i used to wash the precipitate with had formed a layer of AU floating on top of it like an oil slick,managed to recover it and put it in the other beaker.I'm curious to see if there's any more there tomorrow,must be reacting with the air,,so i'll leave adding the hydrochloric and bleach until tomorrow or until it stops producing floating AU,can't be that much more to come,i only used a tiny little sample to begin with.
I have had that main solution for so long know the price of gold has gone up sixfold since originally dissolving it.
I will make sure i do some studying ,some watching vidios,and get some stannous before attempting the main batch,and next time i won't dissolve the base metals along with the AU.I did go back to my 2 beakers and 1 was as i left it with the AU and black stuff in the bottom,the other with my left over liquid plus the water which i used to wash the precipitate with had formed a layer of AU floating on top of it like an oil slick,managed to recover it and put it in the other beaker.I'm curious to see if there's any more there tomorrow,must be reacting with the air,,so i'll leave adding the hydrochloric and bleach until tomorrow or until it stops producing floating AU,can't be that much more to come,i only used a tiny little sample to begin with.
I have had that main solution for so long know the price of gold has gone up sixfold since originally dissolving it.
Done as advised,redissolved in hydrochloric/bleach, it's turned the liquid a nice healthy golden color, still a bit of black stuff and a few golden flakes in the bottom of beaker,adding a bit more acid does nothing, so i'l decant it and try and dissolve the rest with nitric.
I,m gona end up with a lot of beaker's,but i'm throwing away nothing.
There must be a way of getting all of it back, every chemical reaction can be reversed.
I am gona wait a few more hours then add the nitric.
Got a copy of Hokes book finally, can read it during my holiday,sorry,vacation as you yanks say.
In the mean time i need to get some stannaous delivered to my door real quick,or i might be able to knock some up with tin and hydrochloric? will that work.
I will probably leave the main batch until i get back home from overseas,don't wana be rushing things and ain't got much time spare right now
I,m gona end up with a lot of beaker's,but i'm throwing away nothing.
There must be a way of getting all of it back, every chemical reaction can be reversed.
I am gona wait a few more hours then add the nitric.
Got a copy of Hokes book finally, can read it during my holiday,sorry,vacation as you yanks say.
In the mean time i need to get some stannaous delivered to my door real quick,or i might be able to knock some up with tin and hydrochloric? will that work.
I will probably leave the main batch until i get back home from overseas,don't wana be rushing things and ain't got much time spare right now
95% tin solder in HCl will make stannous chloride, check your hardware store, or radio shack store.
Geo
Well-known member
goldpete said:
when you dissolve certain things (especially jewelry) you will have flakes of metal that will not dissolve. its Rhodium. im not saying thats what is being discussed here, but Rhodium will look gold colored when looking at it through solution.
jimdoc
Well-known member
goldpete said:
Goldpete,
Texting lingo of any kind is not permitted on the forum, and the all caps is unnecessary also.
Jim
qst42know
Well-known member
Where did you get your SMB, the right stuff is not a "sulfate".
SMB is short hand for sodium metabisulfite. Note the "ite" at the end, and double check the chemical you added. If you used the wrong chemical you will find your gold in solution with stannous chloride.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_metabisulfite
SMB is short hand for sodium metabisulfite. Note the "ite" at the end, and double check the chemical you added. If you used the wrong chemical you will find your gold in solution with stannous chloride.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_metabisulfite
