silver refining with nitric acid

[butcher]

A sample of ore from Africa would be very nice to get, but that seems like it would cost you a lot of money to send around the world, thanks for offering.

 

[luigi2004]

Jan:
Here are two links that maybe can help you:
http://www.kcareno.com/pdfs/Chloride_Leaching_for_Silver_Copper_Lead_and_Antimony.pdf

http://www.itosbolivia.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=20&Itemid=12

Anyhow is very difficult for me to deal with the silver sulfide without making errors and I don’t think that every thing that is explained there is true.
Please, follow the advice from nickvc regarding the toxicity of the As and Bi in the ores.
I have heard over accidents in the Bolivia-Argentina area due of malpractice with the poisoning of the workers.
Btw, Argentina means “silvered” (Argentium)
Luigi

 

[wccurtis89]

butcher,
I realy appreciate it that you want to assist me.
With an XRF the readings are as follows: Ag 10.73, Pd 11.62, Rh 14.34, Ru 7.67, Pt 2.58,Fe 54.80.
As the refining of silver is not so costly and more simple I want to extract the silver first and refine it
and leave the rest.
I mill the rock with a ball mill to 75 micron and put it through a screen and then remove the Fe with an electro magnet.
The ore is then put through a knelson concentrator to catch small amounts of Au as we have placer Au and which
is nearly undetactable.
The concentrator is unable to catch the silver which is very light and this is done by hand by washing the ore and catching the silver which is very fine.
the silver ore is then heated to remove the sulfates which is very high in this area and submerged in nitric acid for
silver refining.
Itried many times but to date was unable to refine one ounce of silver.
can you please assist futher
thanks jan

These guys are right, nitric acid will work on ore, but it is not efficient, or cost effective. I've used it just for fun, so I could get some silver out of Dyscrasite, and Acanthite ores. By far, your best option is to cement with copper, but I will note, you said your ore contains Palladium. Palladium is also soluble in Nitric acid, and will also be cemented with copper, so you may end up with a Palladium/Silver mix of precipitate, if there is any Palladium present in the Nitric. In my opinion, as Butcher said, smelt it. Way cheaper, way better method all around for ore processing. Acids are great for scrap recycling, but not for hard rock. Although it will work, not very efficiently.

 

[Yggdrasil]

These guys are right, nitric acid will work on ore, but it is not efficient, or cost effective. I've used it just for fun, so I could get some silver out of Dyscrasite, and Acanthite ores. By far, your best option is to cement with copper, but I will note, you said your ore contains Palladium. Palladium is also soluble in Nitric acid, and will also be cemented with copper, so you may end up with a Palladium/Silver mix of precipitate, if there is any Palladium present in the Nitric. In my opinion, as Butcher said, smelt it. Way cheaper, way better method all around for ore processing. Acids are great for scrap recycling, but not for hard rock. Although it will work, not very efficiently.

Welcome to us.

We DO NOT recommend using aids on ores until at least you have an assay.
There can be all kind of nasty stuff in ores.

Nitric will usually not be cost effective anyway.

Her is something fro your studies:
We ask our new members to do 3 things.
1. Read C.M. Hokes book on refining jewelers scrap, it gives an easy introduction to the most important chemistry regarding refining.
It is free here on the forum: Screen Readable Copy of Hoke's Book
2. Then read the safety section of the forum: Safety
3. And then read about "Dealing with waste" in the forum: Dealing with Waste

Suggested reading: The Library

https://goldrefiningforum.com/threads/gold-refining-forum-rules.31182/

 

[goldshark]

These guys are right, nitric acid will work on ore, but it is not efficient, or cost effective. I've used it just for fun, so I could get some silver out of Dyscrasite, and Acanthite ores. By far, your best option is to cement with copper, but I will note, you said your ore contains Palladium. Palladium is also soluble in Nitric acid, and will also be cemented with copper, so you may end up with a Palladium/Silver mix of precipitate, if there is any Palladium present in the Nitric. In my opinion, as Butcher said, smelt it. Way cheaper, way better method all around for ore processing. Acids are great for scrap recycling, but not for hard rock. Although it will work, not very efficiently.

Note the thread date.

 

[wccurtis89]

Well, who said I didn't have my ore assayed?

But you're right, I didn't. Which brings up a question I was coming here to ask anyways. Where CAN I get my ore assayed? I have scoured the internet, and believe it or not come up completely empty handed, except one guy who does fire assay for Gold, and Silver only, but I need an Assay for PGM's as well. I live in Colorado, but obviously I'm ok with sending my product elsewhere for assay.

With regard to your comment about Nitric not being cost effective... I know it isn't, because I said that. I have just used it for fun, because yes, I find this stuff fun. Don't worry, I have PPE, and I don't dump my waste into the public water system. I have all my wastes stored safely, away from children, (which I don't have) for future disposal. Thank you for welcoming me to the forum, but maybe lighten up a bit.

- Casey

 

[wccurtis89]

Note the thread date.

Thank you. I am brand new here. Although, that should be common sense.

Since I have your attention... I am still learning the site. Is there a section where people share flux recipes for smelting Gold and Silver ores?

Edited by Moderator to remove double quote.

 

[goldshark]

Well, who said I didn't have my ore assayed?

But you're right, I didn't. Which brings up a question I was coming here to ask anyways. Where CAN I get my ore assayed? I have scoured the internet, and believe it or not come up completely empty handed, except one guy who does fire assay for Gold, and Silver only, but I need an Assay for PGM's as well. I live in Colorado, but obviously I'm ok with sending my product elsewhere for assay.

With regard to your comment about Nitric not being cost effective... I know it isn't, because I said that. I have just used it for fun, because yes, I find this stuff fun. Don't worry, I have PPE, and I don't dump my waste into the public water system. I have all my wastes stored safely, away from children, (which I don't have) for future disposal. Thank you for welcoming me to the forum, but maybe lighten up a bit.

- Casey

Hazen Research Labs in Golden, Colorado. does fire assays.

 

[wccurtis89]

Hazen Research Labs in Golden, Colorado. does fire assays.

Well that was easy. Thanks!

 

[goldshark]

You could have also found Hazen, and several other labs, by doing a search under the thread " If you think you have ore". Lots of other good info under that thread, if you're interested.