I'm very interested in the chemical processes involved in refining gold. I've been reading about what happens when you add SMB to AuCl3 in solution.
Correct me if i'm wrong but when you add SMB it takes an oxygen molecule from water and becomes sodium meta bisulfate and the free hydrogen joins with the cholrine in the auric chloride to produce HCl and allow the gold to return to solid form.
If I am way off on this please let me know. I'm the type of person that likes to know why things occur. It's all well and good that I can go through the actions of refining, but I want to know a little more about the chemistry of whats happening.
Correct me if i'm wrong but when you add SMB it takes an oxygen molecule from water and becomes sodium meta bisulfate and the free hydrogen joins with the cholrine in the auric chloride to produce HCl and allow the gold to return to solid form.
If I am way off on this please let me know. I'm the type of person that likes to know why things occur. It's all well and good that I can go through the actions of refining, but I want to know a little more about the chemistry of whats happening.
