I live near a mountain which has some silver colored ore (more than a ton of it). I took a sample of the ore, crushed it (it crushed easily) then sent it to a lab for a computer assay. The assay came back 99.3...% iron, .63...% platinum, followed by a very small percentage of silver, then a smaller percentage of vanadium. I have a 3 drum rod mill that can polverize the ore very rapidly. I just can't seem to extract the pt from the ore. There just seems to be too much iron in the way. I tried using hydrochoric acid to dissolve the iron but it just dissolves too slow. It seems like i am working backwards (like I should be trying to dissolve onlt the pt and leave the iron behind). I tried to use mercury by attempting to "charge" it: I used a glass jar, put about 1 1/2 kilos of mercury in the jar and filled the jar with water mixed with flakes of sodium hydroxide... then I partially stripped a solid copper wire and placed the stripped part in the bottom of the jar, connecting the other end to a 12 volt battery (negative post), ... then added the positive wire in the water/lye section ... fastening it to a washer with a nut and bolt. When I connected the wires and added the lye, the water got hot and turned dirty and blackish. I can tell the mercury is at least partially charged but it is still liquid and it just doesnt seem to collect the pt. I am sure I am doing something wrong. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.