Hello! Do you know that gold mining is not always a large-scale and complex process that requires special equipment and equipment? You can feel like a gold digger even in your own home; you just need to know the basics of chemistry and get the starting material. Interesting? Then I recommend reading the article to the end, where I will share the secret of how to mine gold at home and how to make this process safe.
What can you get Au from?
Telephones, radio tubes, diodes, computers, microcircuits, connectors—devices containing radio components—are excellent starting materials. The main requirement for them is that these products have a long production period, that is, they must be old. In Soviet times, a large volume of precious metal was used to create radio components; accordingly, the older the device, the more gold can be extracted from it.
Modern devices containing radio components include SIM cards and laptops, although they contain much less precious metal compared to devices from the times of the USSR.
I also use gold-plated items as a source material - cutlery, jewelry, watches. But you shouldn’t expect a large amount of Au in such things: the sputtering on the bodies of such products is applied in a very thin layer, and in order to get a decent amount of gold, you will need to collect more than a dozen pieces of jewelry.
Borax and soda for further processing and reduction of precious metal losses
Borax or sodium tetraborate is widely used in everyday life and is not a toxic element. Sometimes borax is used in gold extraction - it is easily available and cheap. With its help, you can extract much more precious metal than using methods such as amalgamation.
Since home gold mining involves small volumes of solar metal, it is very important to minimize losses. Adding borax to the precious metal flakes at the final stage of refining will simplify subsequent processing steps and also reduce volume loss.
Instead of borax, you can use soda, which has a lower melting point.
Metal mining methods
There are several ways to obtain AU. Regardless of the chosen method, the raw materials must be prepared before starting work. I sort old and new items into two groups. Then, within each group, I classify devices according to the amount of expensive element it contains. Unnecessary parts in products or old devices are removed to save time and chemicals.
Etching method
The basis of this method is the inability of the precious metal to participate in a chemical reaction with any substances other than aqua regia. Aqua regia is a mixture of hydrochloric acid and nitric acid in a ratio of 1:3.
The method involves making the mixture yourself. The substance has a pungent odor, is initially colorless, but after a short amount of time it becomes light yellow.
I recommend preparing the composition immediately before using it; This way the oxidation function remains at its maximum level.
During the chemical reaction, gold does not oxidize, but remains on the surface of the liquid. He needs to be put down. To do this, you will need to add a reagent to the aqua regia. Hydrogen peroxide, oxalic acid, and sulfite are often used as it, but I recommend using iron sulfate. After adding it, the gold remains on the surface, resembling pieces of foil. I then filter the solution by passing it through a dense material.
Electrolysis mining technology
To mine gold in this way, I will need to fill a glass container with hydrochloric or sulfuric acid, then install 2 iron or lead plates into it. I connect them together with copper wire, then I place a microcircuit there and run an electric current. The microcircuit in this case is the positive electrode.
Under the influence of electric current, a reaction occurs and gold begins to settle on the plates. As soon as the process comes to an end, I turn off the current.
Which way is better
Each method has advantages and disadvantages. Compared to the etching method, the electrolysis method has a more complex technology, but it requires fewer reagents for extraction.
The etching method requires strict adherence to safety precautions, since the likelihood of getting a chemical burn is very high.
These methods are the most effective ways to mine gold at home.
Features of working with reagents
When mining gold on my own, I have to deal with very dangerous substances that have an aggressive effect on human health. For example, nitric oxide released when heated can threaten human life.
I work in a room with very good ventilation. I use rubber gloves, eye protection and a respirator from start to finish. I recommend strictly following safety precautions, then the work will not pose a threat to health.
Safety precautions
It is important to understand that when working with acids, they can cause serious burns. In particular, the etching process takes about 6 hours, during which a large amount of nitrogen oxide is released into the atmosphere. Therefore, it is highly not recommended to mine gold in an unventilated area.
Nitric oxide that enters the respiratory system can be fatal.
When working with acids and electricity, precautions must be taken. Before you start mining gold, you should wear rubber gloves, if possible safety glasses, an apron and a respirator. The latter can be gauze soaked in water.
Pros and cons of this business
If we put aside the legality of this process, then I highlight certain advantages:
- production does not require large expenses;
- the process is clear and uncomplicated;
- good payback;
- does not require a lot of time.
However, I also found some disadvantages:
- the reaction is unsafe;
- a large number of things are required to extract, which are not so easy to find;
- Obtaining a license to legalize a business is a rather labor-intensive and time-consuming procedure.
Does the Law allow it? Conditions for the legality of activity when receiving a permanent income
To mine precious metals at home, you will definitely need a license. Otherwise, such transactions with gold will be illegal. Such operations are regulated by Article 191 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation on “Illegal trafficking in amber, jade or other semi-precious stones, precious metals, precious stones or pearls.”
- Opening an LLC with a legal address. A license can be obtained by a legal entity that has a legal address. Therefore, to legally extract precious metals, you need to open an LLC.
- Obtaining a license to operate. A license can only be obtained by a legal entity with a valid legal address. The applicant must provide the following documents to the Assay Office:
- Statement;
- Copies of documents for real estate premises used in the activity;
- Confirmation that the premises used comply with fire safety requirements.
Romance or earnings
Prospectors are divided into two categories. Some people need vivid impressions, privacy, excitement, and earnings come in the background. Others live by it. Naturally, both of them dream of finding the biggest nugget. And such cases do happen. It is important to know how to search correctly. You immediately need to determine what the earner wants:
- Sand deposits . Sieves are used, washing is carried out more thoroughly, and the water pressure is set more powerfully. The upper layers of bottom sediments are washed.
- Nuggets . Only large sieves are used, the washing is less active, so as not to wash the nugget into the river. Soil lying at a depth of more than 0.3 meters is subject to washing.
The difficulty is that manually selecting bottom soil to a depth of 30 cm to 1 meter is physically difficult. One tray is not enough. You need a tool that allows you to scoop up rock. Pumping equipment and mechanization are used, which also costs money.
Gold was grown in a laboratory for the first time in the world
A free translation of a news item from the Jerusalem Post newspaper, which some Russian-language media allowed themselves, caused a stir on the Internet. And it could also cause panic throughout the world - especially among bankers and financiers.
From the messages that appeared, it followed that scientists “for the first time in history managed to grow artificial gold in laboratory conditions.” What a miracle was created by Maria Koifman-Christova, a graduate student of the Faculty of Materials Engineering at the Technion University in Haifa, and her supervisor, Professor Boaz Pokroy.
The combination of the two words “artificial” and “gold” suggested that scientists either turned something non-gold into gold, or synthesized a substance indistinguishable from gold. Such an outstanding achievement could well be awarded the Nobel Prize in the field of alchemy. If only it existed.
So? Can gold now be “crafted”? Fortunately, no. Bankers can rest assured that nothing threatens real natural gold.
So what did they do at the Technion? Artificial porous gold single crystals were grown here. This was actually achieved for the first time in the world. But these crystals were grown from real gold by heating and cooling thin films of it along with germanium. As a result, drops of gold were first formed, which then crystallized, forming porous single crystals.
This is what a gold single crystal synthesized in Israel looks like. He's tiny.
Porous surface of a gold crystal.
As Maria Koifman and Boaz Pokroy reported on the university's website, “the resulting material has many practical advantages” due to its continuous crystal lattice. Israeli “artificial gold” is stronger than natural gold, more refractory, and conducts heat and electricity better. This can be useful both in jewelry - for durable products, and in technology.
The main “alchemist” is Professor Boaz Pokroy.
The student of the main “alchemist” is Maria Koifman-Christosova.
REFERENCE
Gift from the Universe
The origin of gold is cosmic. According to one hypothesis, it was caused by supernova explosions. According to another, gold was formed as a result of the destruction of neutron stars. They say they emit dust containing atoms of precious metal into space, which then condenses. According to this hypothesis, all the gold formed in this way is concentrated in the molten core of the Earth. And what we find and extract from the nearby depths and on the surface of our planet was brought by asteroids.
Gold is a very heavy metal. One kilogram of it can be “rolled” into a ball with a diameter of less than 5 centimeters (46.237 mm).
BY THE WAY
Tomsk scientists have learned to make gold from sulfuric acid production waste
Scientists from Tomsk Polytechnic University have figured out how to process sulfuric acid production waste into gold, silver, copper, zinc, as well as a number of other useful metals.
“Since the last century, the main method of obtaining it has been the roasting of pyrite concentrate, which often contains admixtures of gold, cobalt, copper and other non-ferrous metals,” said one of the developers. — As a result of burning pyrite, waste from sulfuric acid production is formed - pyrite cinders. Having valuable components in its composition, previously this waste was simply stored in landfills, due to the unprofitability of their processing (details)
Source: www.kp.ru
Is it possible to make gold with your own hands at home?
How is gold mined? Perhaps quite a few of our fellow citizens are puzzled by this question: how do they mine gold at home, without going to the mines somewhere? This article will discuss methods for mining (or refining) this precious metal from various sources.
The economic realities of life for the average city resident are such that you have to have your own source of part-time work. But this is also why there is a crisis in the economy and finding a position in a company that brings in enough money is not so easy. Therefore, other than making gold, there are often no options for gold mining.
Gold mining at home can be considered such an additional source of money. In this case, you don’t have to use amalgamation - this is mining based on mercury, because it is known how toxic and harmful this chemical element is not only for the miner himself, but also for his entire environment.
It is known that this method has not been used for a long time by government agencies involved in industrial gold mining. They prefer leaching gold using sodium cyanide.
How to get gold?
Before describing the technology for extracting gold with your own hands, let’s define how gold is made and what can become a “gold mine” in the conditions of a certain region. So, first of all, such a source can be a gilded object from the era of socialist realism:
- wristwatch case;
- bijouterie;
- cutlery such as knives, forks, spoons, plates and even cups.
Not to mention the appearance of these items, if you decide to extract gold from improvised means, the main thing is that in the Soviet Union high-quality materials, as well as precious metals, were actively used in products.
So, you should look for precious metals in radio components, microcircuits, connectors, transistors and other parts.
It should be taken into account that the older any electronic device - a computer or TV - is, the more gold parts it contains inside. You can get them at home and with a small amount of special equipment.
All directions for searching for a rich source of gold will be effective. Of course, the size of the settlement where the gold miner lives may determine how many sources of the precious metal he will find. You can search not only for one source - this will bring more fruits, that is, it will allow you to extract more gold.
