Replacing Silica in flux with pulverized Quartz

[wccurtis89]

Has anyone crushed Quartz rock, and used it in a flux recipie instead of buying Silica? Being that quartz is silicon dioxide, I don't know if/why/how it would make any or much difference.

I have about 200 pounds of quartz, some of it containing small amounts of free mill gold, so I figured I could use it in my smelting flux in place of purchasing silica sand. Has anyone here tried this? If so, do I need to adjust anything in the recipie for using quartz? Thanks!

- Casey

 

[goldshark]

The silica I purchase for assaying is 150 mesh fine. It also is assayed, so you don't squew your results by having PM's in the material. If I recall, it is $20 per 50 pound bag. For small amounts, you could crush your own quartz, for doing your own smelts, I feel this would be an adequate product. Since you haven't stated your ore type(s), no one can give you a recipe for flux. But a little light reading of the assay book by Bugbee, located in the library here, will give you an understanding of what is involved. If you are really interested in the subject, you will probably read it 3 times to get a good grasp of the subject matter. I still use it for reference, and I have read it 4-5 times.

 

[wccurtis89]

The silica I purchase for assaying is 150 mesh fine. It also is assayed, so you don't squew your results by having PM's in the material. If I recall, it is $20 per 50 pound bag. For small amounts, you could crush your own quartz, for doing your own smelts, I feel this would be an adequate product. Since you haven't stated your ore type(s), no one can give you a recipe for flux. But a little light reading of the assay book by Bugbee, located in the library here, will give you an understanding of what is involved. If you are really interested in the subject, you will probably read it 3 times to get a good grasp of the subject matter. I still use it for reference, and I have read it 4-5 times.

I have been using a basic flux, 60% borax 30% Soda ash, 10% silica. I am also using lead as a collector metal. The ore is an oxidized quartz Gold/Silver ore. I feel I'm probably going too heavy on the silica, since there is also quartz in the crushed rock, but since I don't have an exact amount in the rock, Im still playing with the recipie. There is a lot of iron present, some lead oxides, and a lot of silver sulfides. In one of Jason's videos, on mtbmm, he pointed out that he had a greater silver recovery in fluxes with less Soda ash, with no difference in Gold recovery.

 

[goldshark]

For silicious ores, you need to make your flux a little more basic ( more Soda Ash ). Borax is acidic, as is Silica, therefore you need to add more SA. Keep reading Bugbee, and stay away from YTube. YTube is entertainment and ratings for $ compensation oriented format. Not much really accurate, except Sreetips. Others are close, in their content, but a professor at a school of mines institute, would vomit, at most of Ytube content, relative to what we do.
Read the list of necessary flux compositions, and their uses, relative to a successful fusion.
Your use of the term "basic flux "is incorrect. A basic flux would be the heavy use of Soda Ash, or one of the other Sodium salts. Comparing fluxes to the PH scale, basic would = above a PH of 7, acidic flux = less than 7.
The correct term you should have used is " I am using a SIMPLE flux".

 

[Alondro]

It all depends on how 'clean' the quartz is. If it's white or clear quartz with no mineralization, you've got basically 100% silica. If it's very dirty and mineralized, you could have all manner of elements mixed in which will alter the chemistry of the flux. ESPECIALLY sulfides!

Here in southern NJ, we have the Pine Barrens... and what passes for 'soil' here is mostly quartz sand. In some places, it's so clean it was just washed in water to clear out the soot from the common wildfires and then used for glassmaking (hence the names of towns like 'Glassboro', a town founded on glassmaking!)

So I can just go out and take a scoop of sand for part of my flux mixes!

 

[goldshark]

I think for wccurtis89's purpose, smelting/assaying his quartz based material, by utilizing the quartz contained within his material will be adequate for the flux recipe he needs to do what he needs. Depending on wether he concentrates it to mostly heavy metals, or melting the raw material as is, will determine his fluxing needs.

 

[wccurtis89]

For silicious ores, you need to make your flux a little more basic ( more Soda Ash ). Borax is acidic, as is Silica, therefore you need to add more SA. Keep reading Bugbee, and stay away from YTube. YTube is entertainment and ratings for $ compensation oriented format. Not much really accurate, except Sreetips. Others are close, in their content, but a professor at a school of mines institute, would vomit, at most of Ytube content, relative to what we do.
Read the list of necessary flux compositions, and their uses, relative to a successful fusion.
Your use of the term "basic flux "is incorrect. A basic flux would be the heavy use of Soda Ash, or one of the other Sodium salts. Comparing fluxes to the PH scale, basic would = above a PH of 7, acidic flux = less than 7.
The correct term you should have used is " I am using a SIMPLE flux".

Yes. Simple, not basic. I do a lot of reading, a lot more reading than watching. It helps to retain knowledge much better. So far, my journey into this whole prospecting, and refining venture has been the most rewarding thing I've ever done, and I don't mean financially, of course. I am making preparations to have a proper assay done on a silver prospect I am working in order to get it dialed in for the exact needs. The geology of the rock is very different from that of what I'm used to.

Thank you for the tips on the flux.

 

[wccurtis89]

It all depends on how 'clean' the quartz is. If it's white or clear quartz with no mineralization, you've got basically 100% silica. If it's very dirty and mineralized, you could have all manner of elements mixed in which will alter the chemistry of the flux. ESPECIALLY sulfides!

Here in southern NJ, we have the Pine Barrens... and what passes for 'soil' here is mostly quartz sand. In some places, it's so clean it was just washed in water to clear out the soot from the common wildfires and then used for glassmaking (hence the names of towns like 'Glassboro', a town founded on glassmaking!)

So I can just go out and take a scoop of sand for part of my flux mixes!

It's that very clear, glassy quartz. I would agree it would be a bad idea to use some hard rock conglomerate garbage.

 

[Martijn]

I use fine silver sand. Aka quartz sand. So I guess SiO2..? Not for assaying but smelting copper powder.
2 euro for 25kg.

 

[Meteoriterocks21]

Yes. Simple, not basic. I do a lot of reading, a lot more reading than watching. It helps to retain knowledge much better. So far, my journey into this whole prospecting, and refining venture has been the most rewarding thing I've ever done, and I don't mean financially, of course. I am making preparations to have a proper assay done on a silver prospect I am working in order to get it dialed in for the exact needs. The geology of the rock is very different from that of what I'm used to.

Thank you for the tips on the flux.

It is incredibly fun. The melting/refining is the worst part. I hate the acids, and the acids hate me. The prospecting and rock hunting by far is the most fun youll ever have though, words cannot describe.

 

[4metals]

Another option for assay silica is diatomaceous earth, the kind used in swimming pool filters and sold in garden stores to dust crops to kill aphids.

 

[Shark]

Diatomaceous earth, with a bit of pure peppermint oil will kill or run off our southern stink bugs as well as many other insects that are hard to get rid of.

 

[Alondro]

Diatomaceous earth, with a bit of pure peppermint oil will kill or run off our southern stink bugs as well as many other insects that are hard to get rid of.

It's great for eliminating flea nymphs in carpets.

 

[4metals]

Looks like it can rid the world of bugs and make flux for fire assays. now that's what I call dual purpose.