Gold Refiner Treats Impurities With Acids

By Angel Dudley


The final stage in the production of yellow metal is the refining one. Impurities are removed after smelting. The process of refining is executed by help of a furnace or with acid treatment. Most refiners are left with scarp or bars that have to be melted in the furnace. A gold refiner adds soda ash to the metal which is melted to distinguish the pure material from the metals of lesser value.

A jeweler can also be a smelter and can refine the precious metal at his own lab. Assuming that the metal is in the form of nuggets, they can be placed inside a crucible. The crucibles are generally built of graphite that can withstand the melting of the metal.

To begin with, the aurum recycler aims an acetylene torch to melt the nuggets thoroughly. Once they are melted, they are then cooled so that they can harden and be treated with acids. Nitric acid and hydrochloric acid in concentrated form are used for this process.

The acid to dissolved particles ratio has to be 30 milliliters for nitric acid and 120 milliliters of hydrochloric acid per molten metal ounce. These acids are placed in Pyrex pot containers or heavy duty plastic buckets. The metal recycler generally allows the solution to be kept overnight until the fumes are dissipated.

Both urea and a precipitant are then added to the acid solution. The blend is in the ratio of a quart of water which is heated for every urea pound and a quart of water which is boiled. The mixture ratio is for every metal ounce before adding the precipitant. The mixture is added very to the acid on a gradual basis. The time required for the metal particles to react to the solution is thirty minutes.

The acid turns into a muddy color and this is as a result of the separation of the metal particles. The acid is then tested for dissolved metal. The test can be done by immersing a stirring stick into the acidic solution and placing a drop of that solution on the end of a paper towel. The assayer will then drop a precious metal detection liquid on that acid spot. If the color is amber or mud, the objective is achieved.

The precious metal purifier then adds tap water to the dissolved mud like particles that remain in the container. The mud is rinsed and the excess water is poured away. The particles are then rinsed with aqua ammonia. White vapors will be released from those mud particles. The ammonia is rinsed with distilled water.

Distilled water is used to rinse ammonia. The dissolved particles are transferred to a beaker. It is given slow heat until the mud particles take on a powder form. They are then replaced on to multiple paper towel layers by a gold refiner. They are wrapped in the towels and soaked in alcohol. After soaking with alcohol, the particles are again melted by placing them in a graphite crucible to attain pure form.




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