Bio Remediation for gold and platinum

[dredgeman]

A group of us have been working on Bio treatment of black sand concentrates. Using living organisms for iron removal and treating the material for further processing.

At this time about 25 percent of copper in the world is processed this way.

For the last couple of years we have learned to propagate the bugs and process the dirt. We have three different types of Bio treatment for now.

This was started because we wanted to process our bs from some claims. After sending samples to just about anyone who said they could process the material. We came to the conclusion that we should educate ourselves and process our own material.

This is just an inquiry about anyone else working on similar processes

 

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[dredgeman]

bug sludge and metal from some sludge

 

[strickman]

You might be on to something. That's the way... stockpile b.s. let the bugs do the work. I know bugs have been used to process chemical waste ,why not iron and possibly sulfides.great concept ! should be very effective .How long does it take to process? Keep us posted . I would like to try.

 

[fowledup]

Have you done any, research into the forensics field use of bugs. I dont know much about it but, there is a forensics lab where I work that has different tanks with bugs in them, from what I'm told each tank is designed to hold bugs that "digest" different matter. Pretty sure their targeting organic matter for cleaning bones and what not but it might give you some ideas- good luck. If "Necessity is the mother of all invention" then Miners are the biggest architects and examples of it!

 

[chlsbrns]

Your process looks interesting.

We use 7 gallon biodiesel funnel with a cap on the bottom. We put mercury in the cap. We mix the black sands with household chemicals and some pine oil and put it in the funnel. When we add water the chemicals react and cause the black sands and water to boil. Its not actually hot but it looks like it's boiling. The heavier gold particles go into the mercury. The tiny particles attach to the bubbles, come to the top and drain into a bucket. We unscrew the cap from the bottom of the funnel to get the mercury. We dry whats in the bucket and add it to the mercury in a retort.

The chemicals also clean the sulfide coating that is on some of the gold and keeps the mercury clean.

 

[dredgeman]

You might be on to something. That's the way... stockpile b.s. let the bugs do the work. I know bugs have been used to process chemical waste ,why not iron and possibly sulfides.great concept ! should be very effective .How long does it take to process? Keep us posted . I would like to try.

Depends on the material 5-14 days with the different material we use.

 

[dredgeman]

Have you done any, research into the forensics field use of bugs. I dont know much about it but, there is a forensics lab where I work that has different tanks with bugs in them, from what I'm told each tank is designed to hold bugs that "digest" different matter. Pretty sure their targeting organic matter for cleaning bones and what not but it might give you some ideas- good luck. If "Necessity is the mother of all invention" then Miners are the biggest architects and examples of it!

Yes we are constantly researching for other uses. Scrap materials and many other ways to use the processes.
we have three different types of bugs at the moment. Each one is for different material.

 

[dredgeman]

Your process looks interesting.

We use 7 gallon biodiesel funnel with a cap on the bottom. We put mercury in the cap. We mix the black sands with household chemicals and some pine oil and put it in the funnel. When we add water the chemicals react and cause the black sands and water to boil. Its not actually hot but it looks like it's boiling. The heavier gold particles go into the mercury. The tiny particles attach to the bubbles, come to the top and drain into a bucket. We unscrew the cap from the bottom of the funnel to get the mercury. We dry whats in the bucket and add it to the mercury in a retort.

The chemicals also clean the sulfide coating that is on some of the gold and keeps the mercury clean.

Sounds like a great process. We are trying to eliminate as many chemicals as we can. The epa in calif is about to ban a bunch of chemicals and it is already hard to obtain many we use to use.

 

[chlsbrns]

Sounds like a great process. We are trying to eliminate as many chemicals as we can. The epa in calif is about to ban a bunch of chemicals and it is already hard to obtain many we use to use.

All the chemicals are over the counter. Oxyclean, peroxide, lye and pine oil. A 5 gallon bucket of sands takes about 15- 20 minutes to process plus the retort time.

If you weld the bio diesel funnel to a 55 gallon drum you could do 55 gallons of sands in the same amount of time.

WARNING.. DO NOT TRY TO FIGURE OUT OUR PROCESS!!! MIXING PEROXIDE OXYCLEAN AND LYE IN THE WRONG AMOUNTS CAN CAUSE FUMES THAT CAN KILL YOU!

 

[dredgeman]

All the chemicals are over the counter. Oxyclean, peroxide, lye and pine oil. A 5 gallon bucket of sands takes about 15- 20 minutes to process plus the retort time.

Yes they are over the counter. We have used them also with many others. The point of the bugs is perception of the layman.

Treat the ore (bs,rock) with the bugs (environmentally sound) Fire for metals. Separate each metal with chemicals using less chemicals than for the whole sample

As stupid as it sounds their are people who want to ban cleaning supplies.

 

[chlsbrns]

I believe you. California is run by wackos! It amazes me everytime I see things that are available nationally that do not comply with California laws and are not available in CA

 

[delnorter]

Don't hold your breath on over the counter products remaining available in California.

The last time I went to the warehouse to get supplies for our remote California Division of Highways yard (Caltrans), I was given the last box of WD40 available to our state agency and told there would be no more as it was now banned to us. We are a BIG agency statewide and use a lot of WD40.

This was two weeks ago. I don't know to what extent this applies to other state agencies or the public.

Mike

 

[Rob in KS]

Ban WD-40. That is the most insane thing I've ever heard... even for California. How will you fix things? I guess this proves that politicians don't turn a wrench.

If it moves and it's not supposed to ... use duct tape
If it doesn't move and its supposed to ... use WD

Oh no, duct tape will be next.