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I've been reading an old book called The Precious Metals Comprising Gold Silver and Platinum recently. In the history section on parting gold and silver, they mention that the oldest methods of furnaces and cementation ruled for hundreds of years. Beginning in the 1500s, furnace work was replaced by the use of nitric acid. This was replaced by the use of sulfuric acid in 1802, because sulfuric was less expensive. The sulfuric process was replaced in the early 1900s by electrolytic methods, again because of economy.

While it is not as fast as acid refining, and the cost of metals tied up in the processes must be considered, electrolytic methods can provide frugal alternatives to expensive acids on the scale that many of us work.

Dave

[QUOTE="FrugalRefiner, post: 228174, member: 23255"] I've been reading an old book called [i]The Precious Metals Comprising Gold Silver and Platinum[/i] recently. In the history section on parting gold and silver, they mention that the oldest methods of furnaces and cementation ruled for hundreds of years. Beginning in the 1500s, furnace work was replaced by the use of nitric acid. This was replaced by the use of sulfuric acid in 1802, because sulfuric was less expensive. The sulfuric process was replaced in the early 1900s by electrolytic methods, again because of economy. While it is not as fast as acid refining, and the cost of metals tied up in the processes must be considered, electrolytic methods can provide frugal alternatives to expensive acids on the scale that many of us work. Dave [/QUOTE]

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