refining gold problems
- Thread starter newguy
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Platinum metals pose no problem in cupels.
What do you have in the cupel?
Describe in detail please.
i have a prill from smelting ore with flux's at about 1250 . i belive i half assed scorification with only 2 to 1 lead and cupelled at about 860
removing the value, its brittle and theres a rose color powder and gold flakes. some cupells come out with red arms. amazon test stuff says 22k or better, also platinum. so im not getting solid metal.
There should be no flux in a cupel.
It beats the purpose of the cupel.
Cupelling needs the correct temperature and plenty of air to drive the oxide into the cupel.
Did you use Lead or Bismuth as collector metal?
Aah saw it now, sorry just woke up.
Are you talking C or F here.
Are you using an electric or gas fired kiln?
Too little details.
For instance are your button clean metal?
Martijn
Well-known member
That looks like a alumina crucible to me, not a cupel. What is it exactly?
what do you base the Pt guess on?
You could add more granulated lead and some borax and reheat it in your furnace with enough lead and borax you will get a pool of molten metal (mostly lead). The scorification will help drive the base metals into a slag layer. Then you pour the melt and slag into an assay cone mold. That will place the slag on top where it is easily removed once cooled.
You are not done yet. Now you need to place the lead cone which you have hammered into a square shape to remove any slag and cupel the lead. What you end up with will be precious metals in a bead in the cupel.
You are not done yet. Now you need to place the lead cone which you have hammered into a square shape to remove any slag and cupel the lead. What you end up with will be precious metals in a bead in the cupel.
c gas and air furnace i made and a table top for cupellation 1562 f, which i smelt with for adjusting flux. ive been into it for a half year knowing nothing but what i read on this interweb
yes i try to under do scorifiing 10 times value with lead or visa versa seems crazy. the slag from what ive been doing gives and gives. i guess ill have to try it that way. i have a little bit and the time it will take makes me look for another way.
its 103 gram mag cupel
whats Pt?
Platinum
Cupelling is originally a method for assaying not for production.
Time is not an important factor then.
Did you flatten and fold your lead button before putting it into a pre heated cupel?
Electric front loaders are usually recommended for cupelling.
Top loader where you can keep the lid slightly open will be acceptable I think.
Edit to add:
Preheating to 850-900 C and then cupelling at appr 1000 C
test kit from amazon . from 10 14 18 22+k platinum and silver
sounds hot. ive had emty cupels thought from being to hot re-smelted and got a small bead
hammered it to almost a square
i think i replied to you but it went to someone else. its the time with the lead i would like to avoid, and try an find another way with fire to get rid of it
