Properties of Gold Alloys

[jerryshizzle123]

I'm trying to refine gold using nitric acid (NOT aqua regia). Will the non-gold components dissolve and leave behind pure gold, or will the fact that it's an alloy somehow prevent the individual components from dissolving?

[UC]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depletion_gilding

 

Nitric acid isn't magical and able to penetrate solid materials, so you'll only remove what little is on the surface, building up an impenetrable layer of pure gold

 

Have a look at this. By diluting the gold with silver (which is susceptible to nitric acid), you can penetrate the entire solid and leave behind only gold and other metals that do not dissolve in nitric acid:

Plenty of reading material here: http://goldrefiningforum.com/

Edited July 30, 2010 by UC

[jerryshizzle123]

Ah, your response was quite helpful. Thanks

[dragonstar57]

can it be done with something that isn't as valuable as silver?

[John Cuthber]

Yes, copper for example, but that needs more acid to dissolve it. Since you can get the silver back fairly easily it gets used in spite of its cost.

[dragonstar57]

can someone post a video that also includes how to get the nearly as valuable silver back?

after all an ounce of silver can be worth as much as 350 dollars (or at least that what I have to pay for it)

[Arthur Dent]

...after all an ounce of silver can be worth as much as 350 dollars (or at least that what I have to pay for it)

 

Huh?

 

$350? The current value of an ounce troy of pure .999 silver is $19.17 as of this morning! Where do you get your silver? I don't think you're buying if from the right place that's for sure!

 

Even United Nuclear (which is known for their expensive prices) sells 2.6 g of pure silver for $2.50... that's less than $30 an ounce!

 

Robert

[dragonstar57]

the idiot put the decimal point in the wrong place (the owner of the jewelry store) so it was 35.0 an oz which. i guess is higher than normal