Using mercury for Gold recovery

[butcher]

minormetals,

With three posts to your name here on the forum, and all of them to trying to push, or to sell mercury a very dangerous metal (highly regulated), and dangerous for people and the environment.

Mercury really has no use in mining today, or recovery or refining gold.
No use at all.
I discourage any member here from trying to buy sell or use mercury.

I also warn members of the problems they can get into with this metal, with government officials.

I would not put it past government officials to set up a sting on the forum promoting or trying to sell mercury, I had some major trouble with this metal, and had problems with authority's, during that time there were government officials posting on the forum, and on the forum watching our discussions, fishing.


This looks to me you are only here to spam members, or set them up in some type of sting.
I have a good mind to ban you and your posts.

I did delete your other two posts of mercury and trying to sell it.

If you are here to learn proper ways to recover and refine gold (without the use of mercury) then you are welcome to stay, but if your only purpose is to promote the use of and sell mercury, you will not be welcome and will be banned.

 

[minormetals]

i see. thank you.

 

[rich_2137]

Sorry to say but it's posts like these that really get me down!! it just proves that people don't have a clue on what there doing and would do them good to research it first, don't get me wrong I don't know everything but reading and learning more each day is making me understand the different processes!!
Just annoying as I sold some items on ebay and then they gave me negative feedback saying "Not good value at all" I carnt help that they bidded what they bid at the end of the day if they had done a little research they would have known the true value of what they were buying!! Idiots!! :twisted:

 

[nickvc]

I feel there are several processes that raise their heads regulary that really aren't suited to home refiners cyanide and mercury seem the most common, I don't mean any disrespect to our many clever and in many cases brighter than me home refiners but both these need different set ups than many possesss and should be avoided. There are work arounds many developed here on the forum that are much safer and less likely to go tragically wrong which can be used that are fully explained and in depth if people search. Promoting dubious or dangerous processes isn't tolerated and for good reason, the safety of the members, their family, neighbours and the environment.

 

[kurtak]

I feel there are several processes that raise their heads regulary that really aren't suited to home refiners cyanide and mercury seem the most common, I don't mean any disrespect to our many clever and in many cases brighter than me home refiners but both these need different set ups than many possesss and should be avoided. There are work arounds many developed here on the forum that are much safer and less likely to go tragically wrong which can be used that are fully explained and in depth if people search. Promoting dubious or dangerous processes isn't tolerated and for good reason, the safety of the members, their family, neighbours and the environment.

Correct :!: :!: :!:

Kurt

 

[galenrog]

While I have not advocated he use of mercury in placer mining for some time, I do encounter it from time to time as both a contaminate in placer gold and others asking what to do with it. While both long and short term dangers related to mercury use can be reduced dramatically using proper procedure and reasonable precautions, I do not advise anyone to even try. If you have mercury contaminating your gold, you have already been offered good advice. If you want to use mercury in the recovery of gold, please reconsider your position.

 

[bmgold2]

This seems to be one of those topics that just won't go away. People read about the old time gold miners using mercury to get that fine gold that is hard to separate and think that must be a good way to get their gold.

The original poster wanted to know how to "charge" mercury. I have also read about this "magic" way to super charge your mercury. Even if someone here did explain how to do that (I and probably many others could easily explain how to do it), what would that get you? Now, if it actually did collect your gold, your gold would now be locked up in a poisonous substance which would take even more dangerous methods to get it back.

As keeps being pointed out here, there are better ways to do it now. They also involve some dangers but are no more difficult and safer than something that can poison you or others around you just by sitting around.

You can read stories about people breaking those new spiral fluorescent lights and then having a hazmat team come in to clean up the mess. That was from a tiny amount contained in the new "environmentally friendly" lights. Just think what would happen if it was found out that you were "playing" with ounces or pounds of the stuff.

I could keep on writing about some of the information I found when I was first trying to get into prospecting and then now refining gold but that would mostly be preaching to the choir. It's mostly the new members that come here looking for the "easy way" to get the gold that need to be warned about the dangers. Nobody here is going to tell anyone how to use mercury because nobody wants to be responsible for someone hurting their self or others.

 

[sharkhook]

I have read pretty near every post on this huge forum dealing with refining and recovering. So much of it is just great reading and packed with know how from so many of the members it is almost unbelievable. I started looking at both aspects back in the very early 90's and have searched off and on ever since. One of the most common things of all of that research has been the fact that Mercury will kill you, and if not quickly it will kill others around you as well. I believe that is the reason so many of the old timers were searching for better methods than using that stuff. Just in this one thread if you combined all the years of experience among the replies I would bet a wooden nickle it is over 100 years worth of knowledge. On that note, why would anyone even consider messing with that stuff? If you really believe there is no better way, then you have never spent much, if any, time reading this forum. And now I will digress to those with more knowledge on the subject since I have never tried it, and don't see me ever trying it.

 

[auone]

regarding hg toxicity
im not trying to cause any problems here . let me just say that first
i can find post after post of people using acid "outside" and no one seems to have a problem with that
do you really think those fumes just " go away " we are all breathing them , we are all "downwind" any way you look at it
i know many people here are basically against mercury in general . and i can respect that . it is poison and it seems to affect some people more than others
its an insidious neurotoxin if handled carelessly i get it . i really do
the thing i dont understand is why is just letting all those fumes blow downwind is somehow accepted , even encouraged
whenever hg is mentioned here , its like a taboo subject and people that i respect cry out about poisoning the environment
yet those red fumes just bubbling away is acceptable
maybe somebody can educate me
why is one poison accepted and another is shunned
im new here and not trying to make any waves , im just trying to understand

 

[butcher]

auone,

We often post warnings about dealing with any poisons, even the poisonous fumes, and teach how to deal with them safely and with responsibility, unlike mercury, acids are a necessity in recovery and refining.

Mercury is not needed in recovery or refining of gold, although in recovery there may come a time when you may have to deal with mercury also (dental waste as an example), we also post information and warning on how to deal with these deadly fumes safely also.

If you spend time studying both recovery refining, the forum, and mercury, you will understand the forums point of view on this topic.

You can also talk to your local DEQ (department of environmental quality officer) and ask him his point of view, on you using mercury, as opposed to using acid safely in a recovery process on your property.

If you wish to discuss it further I will be glad to do so.

Study and educate yourself in safe methods to recover and refine precious metals, educate yourself on why some processes are chosen over others, and why some are just obsolete and or are just too dangerous to use.

 

[sharkhook]

One of the most common things found is the use a fume hood and scrubber. I ran one batch of fingers without some protection from the fumes. By the time that I saw the process actually worked as stated here on the forum, I built a small scrubber. It isn't a professional thing, but it does work as described. The fumes and odor were gone, as well as some pieces near by stopped rusting quite noticeably. I have plans in the near future for a better setup even though I know it will cost more to build than I am likely to make from refining in quite a long while. Then again, I am a hobbyist at this while a very many are more professionally in it. As a hobby or a profession, safety is job one. All the gold in the world is useless if you can't live long enough to enjoy it.

 

[Geo]

in nature, the amounts of acidic fumes that we (as hobbyist refiners) release into the atmosphere is less than the smallest fraction of a percent when compared to, OH lets say volcanism. thousands or even millions of tons of SO2 is released by mother nature each year.

Sulfur dioxide (SO2)

The effects of SO2 on people and the environment vary widely depending on (1) the amount of gas a volcano emits into the atmosphere; (2) whether the gas is injected into the troposphere or stratosphere; and (3) the regional or global wind and weather pattern that disperses the gas. Sulfur dioxide (SO2) is a colorless gas with a pungent odor that irritates skin and the tissues and mucous membranes of the eyes, nose, and throat. Sulfur dioxide chiefly affects upper respiratory tract and bronchi. The World Health Organization recommends a concentration of no greater than 0.5 ppm over 24 hours for maximum exposure. A concentration of 6-12 ppm can cause immediate irritation of the nose and throat; 20 ppm can cause eye irritation; 10,000 ppm will irritate moist skin within minutes.

Emission rates of SO2 from an active volcano range from <20 tonnes/day to >10 million tonnes/day according to the style of volcanic activity and type and volume of magma involved. For example, the large explosive eruption of Mount Pinatubo on 15 June 1991 expelled 3-5 km3 of dacite magma and injected about 20 million metric tons of SO2 into the stratosphere. The sulfur aerosols resulted in a 0.5-0.6°C cooling of the Earth's surface in the Northern Hemisphere. The sulfate aerosols also accelerated chemical reactions that, together with the increased stratospheric chlorine levels from human-made chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) pollution, destroyed ozone and led to some of the lowest ozone levels ever observed in the atmosphere.

At Kilauea Volcano, the recent effusive eruption of about 0.0005 km3/day (500,000 m3) of basalt magma releases about 2,000 tonnes of SO2 into the lower troposphere. Downwind from the vent, acid rain and air pollution is a persistent health problem when the volcano is erupting.

http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/hazards/gas/index.php

Examples of volcanic gas compositions, in volume percent concentrations
(from Symonds et. al., 1994)

Volcano
Tectonic Style
Temperature Kilauea Summit
Hot Spot
1170°C Erta` Ale
Divergent Plate
1130°C Momotombo
Convergent Plate
820°C
H20 37.1 77.2 97.1
C02 48.9 11.3 1.44
S02 11.8 8.34 0.50
H2 0.49 1.39 0.70
CO 1.51 0.44 0.01
H2S 0.04 0.68 0.23
HCl 0.08 0.42 2.89
HF --- --- 0.26

 

[butcher]

In nature several of these gases are released, volcanoes, forest fires...
Including the toxic mercury fumes, which can circle the world twice before settling.

We have a responsibility for our safety, and the safety of others around us, and for our environment, with this we can work responsibly, to capture (and reuse or make safer) our gases, and treat our waste for safer disposal (or reuse), and work with procedures, and safety practices that leave a low impact on our environment.

Mining is not what it used to be here in the US, and I suspect many places around the world, here very little mining is actually done anymore, or can be done, some of this from bad mining practices, and some from just plain ignorance, it is my belief that we can log, mine and use our natural resources responsibly, but when not done responsibly that is where we do harm to ourselves and our environment, and give rise to regulations regulating us out of the business of using our natural resources, feeding those nuts who would have us not be able to use our resources, and harming us financially...

 

[DarkspARCS]

the gold has been put in nitric acid and is sitting with whatever other metals in water (come from washing PC motherboards with acid)

What possible reason can you have to use mercury in this case? What do you expect to accomplish?

Harold

Edit: I get the distinct impression you have been reading too many comic books, and you don't have a clue about refining. Mercury is NOT a refining procedure. At best, it is a recovery procedure, one that is not the least bit necessary for processing escrap.
Have you read Hoke?

Hi everyone! I know it's been about a year since I posted but I just had to mention this because it's somewhat iconic when I read Harold's comments on issues people have, and his gravity of common sense always gives me this almost biblical sentiment in understanding what he's talking about. The quote I am quoting you on here Harold has you mentioning comic books... which actually had me envisioning you as Optimus Prime from the Transformers, with his Heraldic vocaL intonations giving us Au-to-bots a lesson in Au mechanics. LET'S ROLL!

 

[Evan2468WDWA]

You can read stories about people breaking those new spiral fluorescent lights and then having a hazmat team come in to clean up the mess. That was from a tiny amount contained in the new "environmentally friendly" lights. Just think what would happen if it was found out that you were "playing" with ounces or pounds of the stuff.

I broke one of those spiral fluorescent lights and was feeling a bit worried so I did some research. This is one of the things I found.
https://web.stanford.edu/~bcalhoun/AStock.htm
Mercury is some scary stuff.

 

[solar_plasma]

Depends on how large the fluorescent light has been. For the small bulb-like ones the German toxins information central says, move the solids out of the house, clean up and ventilate by open windows for some hours and you should not get into trouble. I followed this advice, when my daughter once had broken one by accident and we had no probs.

 

[Evan2468WDWA]

Depends on how large the fluorescent light has been. For the small bulb-like ones the German toxins information central says, move the solids out of the house, clean up and ventilate by open windows for some hours and you should not get into trouble. I followed this advice, when my daughter once had broken one by accident and we had no probs.

I'm not too worried about the light bulb anymore. That was a while ago, I cleaned it up properly and there isn't that much mercury in those things. Still the reading I did gave me a health respect for the danger mercury can pose. Using large amount of it for gold recovery doesn't seem like a good idea to me.

Edit: Sorry, I guess the way I worded made it sound like it happened recently.

 

[Geo]

I am 49 years old but I remember well the day our teacher showed us a trick to turn a penny into silver. The mercury came from an old blood pressure pump and seemed to have a gallon of the shiny liquid metal but then again, I was only 10 at the time. I remember how we played with it in our hands letting the beads roll back and forth across out palms. Of course being children, there were spills and the drops would hit the floor and fly into thousands of tiny drops, never to be cleaned up or removed. I don't remember ever being told to wash our hands after playing with the liquid metal.It helps to add that in this same school, I made straight "A"s in PE playing poker with my pals and looking at girls by simply bringing the coach a cigar every couple of days but that's beside the point. When I was 3 years old, you got a better price for scrap cars if you burned them first. I remember there being 10-20 cars on our property burning at the same time. Now it's unconscionable but at the time, it was the norm. I have been exposed to toxic material through most of my young and young adult life. I collected mercury from AC thermostats for years for use in prospecting. I did study on it and learned on my own how to make and use a retort. It is still harmful and not something that I would recommend. I have no idea how much contamination I received over the years or what damage it has done to my body. I always assumed that something would kill me long before now, not that I wish for death but only expected it sooner. I have cleaned up a toxic dump site on my own, not knowing what chemicals I was exposed to for years. I remember a piece of metal that was shaped like a hockey puck with a "N" (nickel) stamped into it. It had what looked like a stainless steel thermo-coupling welded to one side. Heck, I just twisted it up and down until it snapped off. A white powder-liquid sprayed out and everywhere it touched the ground burst into flames.At first I had no idea the flames were caused by what I was holding in my hand. I finally stopped screaming and noticed the white stuff still dripping from this metal puck. Then I began playing with it and showing my friends. It was an illegal dumpsite from a chemical plant cleanup (perhaps Monsanto when it changed to Solutia). I would dig up 30-40 6" red brass gate valves at a time, and while most were empty, some would have a white powder in them that made your skin itch like crazy if you got it on you.

What I'm saying is there is plenty of dangerous things we deal with that we don't know will hurt us, why would we handle something that is a known fact to hurt us if we don't have to.

 

[bswartzwelder]

Geo,
I too, remember as a kid playing with mercury. It sure is an interesting metal, but one that should be left to those who absolutely need to use it. In recovery and refining, there is nothing that I can think of that you need mercury for. Anybody using mercury needs their head examined because it attacks the central nervous system. However, it never affected me. However, it never affected me. However, it never affected me.

 

[Smack]

I remember my mom would bring thermometers home from the hospital (must have been 5 at the time) and us kids would break them open and play with the mercury and eventually lose it to gravity. I distinctly remember playing with a bead in my hand for so long it just disappeared :shock: , maybe that's what's wrong with me. Just that one act of carelessness or in our case ignorance could be the determining factor in how I meet my death. No sure way to know exactly how it effected my body and it's ability to develop normally.

On a lighter note: My mom also used to bring home syringes from the hospital, no not with needles just the big ones used for rinsing. We grew up on a farm with livestock and for some reason we thought that the pigs needed the most medical support if you know what I mean. Poor pigs :lol: