Anyone still use mercury to process their gold?

[Al D]

Mercury was used in ancient times to extract gold, does anyone still use it today?

 

[galenrog]

Anyone who uses mercury to recover gold is an idiot. There are better ways.

Methods to remove mercury from gold are another matter.

Time for more coffee.

 

[Al D]

Anyone who uses mercury to recover gold is an idiot. There are better ways.

Methods to remove mercury from gold are another matter.

Time for more coffee.

Not what I asked, but thanks anyway for your intelligent opinion,

 

[KevinInColorado]

Mercury was used in ancient times to extract gold, does anyone still use it today?

Sure but only in a controlled environment, never out in the field.

Also at $80/pound, and with the environmental concerns, and safety concerns, it’s obvious why any use has to be closed loop. No waste, full recovery of the mercury for reuse.

 

[No gold in NY]

On another note about mercury... I do a lot of panning in Vermont. The area I use is about a mile down stream from a 1800's mining operation. Sometimes I get mercury coated gold that has escaped the miners. The last two times I was there, I actually found raw mercury beads rolling around in my pan. I brought them home and put it in my collection jar that I have had for years. Seemed to me the mercury should have seeped down through the sand and gravel to bedrock. Sorry I hijacked your thread.

 

[mikep691]

Sure but only in a controlled environment, never out in the field.

Also at $80/pound, and with the environmental concerns, and safety concerns, it’s obvious why any use has to be closed loop. No waste, full recovery of the mercury for reuse.

I agree with Kevin, but with a proper retort, it can be done in the field. As long as your system doesn't allow the mercury to vaporize and return to the air and ground, it can be recovered and reused.

 

[johnedoe]

You do know mercury has its limits... below a certain mesh it won't catch gold and if the gold has any kind of coating it won't amalgamate.
There are good mats and equipment now that do an excellent job of catching fine gold........ No mercury used for any of this.

 

[Goldwasher]

You do know mercury has its limits... below a certain mesh it won't catch gold and if the gold has any kind of coating it won't amalgamate.
There are good mats and equipment now that do an excellent job of catching fine gold........ No mercury used for any of this.

View attachment 1757511 View attachment 1757512 View attachment 1757513 View attachment 1757514

? Mercury will amalgamate with gold you can't even see with your eyes.. At that point mesh size is moot. It will catch what a gold cube won't.
Fine gold also has less of a chance of having a "coating" that prevents amalgamation.

It is nice that we have mechanical gravity separation widgets that get super fine gold but it is still hard to get better recovery of super fine gold than mercury can get.

 

[johnedoe]

I would like to see some additional info on those claims.... I have been looking for some stats on the efficiency of amalgamation.
I just don't see it being worth the effort and expense for the small amount of returns your going to get .

So I will just stick with my present system and be happy with about 95%..... I have screens from 20 mesh down to -325 mesh.
I have captured -325... it is so small unless you have a good loupe or you brush it into a pile - so to speak - you can't see it with the naked eye.

Here are some pics of beach concentrates in the various screens the last pic in the red tray is -325.

As you can see most of the beach gold I deal with is in the -100 to +200 mesh range.

 

[XLV]

My side of the planet Hg is used every day its illegal here but it works good enough when all you can afford is a pan and some food ...And retort here safer in the field then in the big city

 

[Al D]

I would like to see some additional info on those claims.... I have been looking for some stats on the efficiency of amalgamation.
I just don't see it being worth the effort and expense for the small amount of returns your going to get .

So I will just stick with my present system and be happy with about 95%..... I have screens from 20 mesh down to -325 mesh.
I have captured -325... it is so small unless you have a good loupe or you brush it into a pile - so to speak - you can't see it with the naked eye.

Here are some pics of beach concentrates in the various screens the last pic in the red tray is -325.

As you can see most of the beach gold I deal with is in the -100 to +200 mesh range.

View attachment 1758602 View attachment 1758603 View attachment 1758604 View attachment 1758605View attachment 1758606

In your case, I think the cyanide process would work well

 

[johnedoe]

Cyanide processes are used in much larger operations than I am dealing with ....
I am just a lowly part time beach miner..




In my case what I use works really well for me.



This is a clean up of a friend of mines beach cons that he had saved from a few outings....
There was over 2 oz. in this cleanup in case you're curious.

 

[XLV]

I got a black beach but no gold and no mining allowed .....Great work johnedoe

 

[Al D]

Cyanide processes are used in much larger operations than I am dealing with ....
I am just a lowly part time beach miner..

View attachment 1758868


In my case what I use works really well for me.

View attachment 1758867

This is a clean up of a friend of mines beach cons that he had saved from a few outings....
There was over 2 oz. in this cleanup in case you're curious.

View attachment 1758869

True, but the ease and efficiency are tempting. Your apparent efficiency is quite impressive.

 

[johnedoe]

Thank you.
It is and there are no chemicals to putz with.....

 

[mikep691]

Found this in some old cons and didn't know it was there. The jar with cons had been sitting on top of my fridge for 15 years (it came with the house). Now the amalgam is safely stored in water in a devoted snuffer bottle:

 

[Goldwasher]

Wasn't really the point of my comment. I don't use it for recovery. Yet, when I come across it and deal with it I'm amazed at what it recovers. We were dreadging a sot loaded with it and fine gold. It did a great job catching fines and holding them in our boxes whether we liked it or not.

I do know guys that use it. In their BS after gravity separation from creek to home processing/finishing. Add to pan with no V.G. Let the HG do its thing pan after pan. Then hit it with Nitric. When you shake the vial after cleaning the gold is so fine it looks like oil swirling around and does not settle right away. Thats pretty fine couldn't imagine the mesh size.

Doing it on the back end of recovery does net an amount that is worth it. But the one dude only does it like once a year. And its a byproduct. The ******* snipes stuff so, big that I too don't know why he bothers He does like to know he's got it all.

But yea for what your doing Screens and cube are really the way to go. But, I bet you would be surprised what may be left in your tailings that mercury would get.

 

[johnedoe]

But yea for what your doing Screens and cube are really the way to go. But, I bet you would be surprised what may be left in your tailings that mercury would get.

I will never know. Beach mining in Oregon is a big enough joke with their BS regs...
Can't even imagine the **** stain they would make down their trouser legs if mercury were used on a beach.....LOL

 

[Goldwasher]

I will never know. Beach mining in Oregon is a big enough joke with their BS regs...
Can't even imagine the **** stain they would make down their trouser legs if mercury were used on a beach.....LOL

I should of made more clear. Your concentrates after just gravity and separation with cube..bowl ..wheel whatever. Those "tailings".

I wouldn't even try Mercury in my field recovery. I also don't see the practicality or economics in creating the extra step. If I come across it while digging so be it and thanks if it helps catch a little more before clean up.