Will SMB precipitate gold out of water?

[reptwar1]

I am on a gold bearing river but the gold is so small that you can't see it unless there is an accumulation of it. It is so small that gravity methods will not work as the gold stays suspended in solution for quite some time before settling. How I came to learn this?...every panning trip, I bring back my concentrates and throw them into a clear plastic tote. One day, I decided to rest this tote at an angle on my outside ac unit. After almost a week, I looked in the bottom corner of the tote and saw a 1/4" x 4" line of gold gleaming in the sunlight. Now, this is only from maybe 2 lbs of material so extremely rich. The problem is...it's so small, that it stays suspended in water. I have precipitated gold from aqua regia in the past as well as AP solutions so would SMB precipitate these tiny particles from water?

 

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[Assembler]

Well now, my furry friend. As an Engineer. You know, a registered Professional engineer with multi state reciprocity most any where in the country, I feel obligated to let you in on a little known well kept secret of the biz. Ditto for my Science credentials which are distinct but as worthy.

Water is considered an in-compressible fluid. Metallic Solids are generally known to be in-compressible, sorta by definition. ( in the realm of T & P that humans can survive in anyway )

Any temperature fluctuation you wish to apply to make any sort of significant difference to the SG of AU would boil or freeze water. And even then it wouldn't be much.

But you did mention 'gasses' in your notion of applying pressure to fine sized particles to enhance their dropping out. Fluidized beds with air entrainment sorta work in the opposite way to your notion by reducing the bulk media density facilitating a greater disparity and enhancing drop out.


I consider myself open minded and am interested in this notion. Can you explain it or link us up with from whence you arrived at the idea? Is this your yet untested original work or is there something we can research? Can you share?

Meow

Like the cat pointed out it is hard to measure. Most will agree that liquids and solids in general do not compress. However dissolved gases do compress very much. This has some effect.

PS: I will add in the edit that any gas within a solid such as common gas made pockets within rocks, can compress a lot thus having a measurable effect.

I see the word 'gas' being used unless there is a mistake being made. The cat makes mistakes......lol.

 

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[ConceptualizedNetherlandr]

Like the cat pointed out it is hard to measure. Most will agree that liquids and solids in general do not compress. However dissolved gases do compress very much. This has some effect.

PS: I will add in the edit that any gas within a solid such as common gas made pockets within rocks, can compress a lot thus having a measurable effect.

I see the word 'gas' being used unless there is a mistake being made. The cat makes mistakes......lol.

eat less gassy foods then?

But back to separating fines. tell us about how pressure helps.

 

[Assembler]

eat less gassy foods then?

But back to separating fines. tell us about how pressure helps.

Pressure will not help with the solids.

 

[Assembler]

Removing any gas that nature has put into the mix could help a little.

Going back to the centrifuge will give far better results.

 

[DonaldTrump]

I am on a gold bearing river but the gold is so small that you can't see it unless there is an accumulation of it. It is so small that gravity methods will not work as the gold stays suspended in solution for quite some time before settling. How I came to learn this?...every panning trip, I bring back my concentrates and throw them into a clear plastic tote. One day, I decided to rest this tote at an angle on my outside ac unit. After almost a week, I looked in the bottom corner of the tote and saw a 1/4" x 4" line of gold gleaming in the sunlight. Now, this is only from maybe 2 lbs of material so extremely rich. The problem is...it's so small, that it stays suspended in water. I have precipitated gold from aqua regia in the past as well as AP solutions so would SMB precipitate these tiny particles from water?

Many years ago when I was living out west I met an old prospector who lived in the mountains. He found a gold laden spring in one particular area also noted for geothermal activity.

He showed me a 24" x 6" inch copper plate that was wetted with mercury that was laid across this little spring and allowed the gold laden spring water to run over the copper plate. After a few weeks he would return to scrape the amalgam off the plates. His best yield was about 3/4 of an ounce which was pretty good considering the amount of work required.

Now I'm not suggesting anyone trying this since mercury isn't safe to work with and a environmental hazard as well.

But it does show a little american ingenuity that this old timer was using in his era.

 

[DonaldTrump]

Many years ago when I was living out west I met an old prospector who lived in the mountains. He found a gold laden spring in one particular area also noted for geothermal activity.

He showed me a 24" x 6" inch copper plate that was wetted with mercury that was laid across this little spring and allowed the gold laden spring water to run over the copper plate. After a few weeks he would return to scrape the amalgam off the plates. His best yield was about 3/4 of an ounce which was pretty good considering the amount of work required.

Now I'm not suggesting anyone trying this since mercury isn't safe to work with and a environmental hazard as well.

But it does show a little american ingenuity that this old timer was using in his era.

By the way I'm sure there are more environmentally friendly methods and ways to recover this type of gold if you can find the right equipment and set it up properly.