Salts Question

[limestonecowboy]

I recently processed about 1/2 oz of gold from my cell. I dried the filter cake and dissolved in Hcl-cl.

After filtering I was left with a good quantity of salts which wouldnt pass through the filter.

I did my smb precip which yeilded about 12 gr, and wondered if any Au was lost in the salts.

I tried to process the salts but seem to be going around in circles.

I boiled up some of the salts in hcl and indeed there is a good quantity of gold as can be seen in the pic.

[IMG:1024:768]http://i305.photobucket.com/albums/nn205/Bluejohn/boil1-1.jpg[/img]

I tried to dissolve with hcl-cl but just ended up with salts again shown in the secon pic.

[IMG:1024:768]http://i305.photobucket.com/albums/nn205/Bluejohn/salts1.jpg[/img]

Any ideas on processing these salts anyone ?

 

[limestonecowboy]

No one want to touch this one then ?

 

[Harold_V]

My experience didn't include any of the work-around processes, but one thing is for sure. If you'll incinerate the residues, then melt the remaining solids with a good flux, any gold that may be present is likely to agglomerate and be collected. It would require a very fluid flux, perhaps adding some fluorspar (very little), along with soda ash and borax. It might help to use a collector or sorts. Silver comes to mind.

Sorry if this isn't the answer you're looking for. When all you have is a hammer, everything starts looking like a nail!

Harold

 

[limestonecowboy]

Incineration ! Of course . Sometimes it takes someone else to see the obvious.

I will try this then perhaps try washing the remaining material in Nitric. Then I can try a recovery with Hcl-cl.

We cannot get Clorox over here in the UK. The nearest 'neat' bleach is Domestos which is coloured and probably contains other substances.

I think this is the cause of execss salts, someone correct me if i'm off the mark.

Cheers Harold.

 

[limestonecowboy]

Worked a treat.

Incinerated the salts in a large melting dish, using a gentle propane torch - Do this outdoors or in a fume cupboard - horrid !

Crushed the brown crispy residue, and dissolved it in Hcl-cl.

1.2 gr of fine tan brown gold powder precipitated.

Magic.

 

[Harold_V]

Incineration is one of the best possible tools in the arsenal of the refiner, and often the most overlooked.

Congratulations on your success!

Harold

 

[limestonecowboy]

Harold,

Thank you for taking the time to respond, It was a great help, in one of the situations where Hoke does not have all the answers.

Cheers Best Wishes,

Rich