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| Bag Cleaning Instructions |
| Other Choices |
1. Remove bag from filtration unit, closing valve first to take unit off-line
Replace with new / clean filter bag and re-open valve, to continue filtration.
2. Place a plastic tub or container under the bag cleaning area, to catch the
gold and precious metals sediments you will clean out of the bag.
3. Turn bag upside down and insert your garden hose with sprayer
attachment into bag opening and loosen all of the sediments inside. Spray
internally for a good 30 seconds or more, affecting all areas.
4. Place a pole inside to keep inverted, while you continue to spray the entire
exterior surface well, so that all sediments are washed from the fibres, and
drain out into bucket or container.
5. Bag can now be replaced into operation again, or dried and stored for
future use.
6. Bags can be re-used an average of 30 times with reasonable handling and
care.
7. Save all sediments for processing. Excess waters in container can be
drained off after settling of contents, if desired without great losses, to
consolidate the sediments.
Replace with new / clean filter bag and re-open valve, to continue filtration.
2. Place a plastic tub or container under the bag cleaning area, to catch the
gold and precious metals sediments you will clean out of the bag.
3. Turn bag upside down and insert your garden hose with sprayer
attachment into bag opening and loosen all of the sediments inside. Spray
internally for a good 30 seconds or more, affecting all areas.
4. Place a pole inside to keep inverted, while you continue to spray the entire
exterior surface well, so that all sediments are washed from the fibres, and
drain out into bucket or container.
5. Bag can now be replaced into operation again, or dried and stored for
future use.
6. Bags can be re-used an average of 30 times with reasonable handling and
care.
7. Save all sediments for processing. Excess waters in container can be
drained off after settling of contents, if desired without great losses, to
consolidate the sediments.
First step in any sediment collection process is to separate the "heavies" which may be caught
in the filtrate...treated like any panned, fine gold. You may collect a great deal of fine gold at this
stage, or through amalgamation with mercury.
This method is often preferable to leaching, as it is more direct and no losses occur, although
more is required to collect and use mercury. Leaching is at best a method best applicable to
very fine, gold and precious metals, easily converted to the Gold Chloride forms.
I find it easier to separate the flour gold at this stage than experience losses through leaching,
with just a little patience to pan or otherwise collect it. This is to say, that leaching has it's
limits.
The main ingredients which interfere with leaching are sulfur and iron..remove these through
citric-acid-washing, or ignore them through using amalgamation, are the main choices.
Keep in mind, that no matter how hot the leach mix, if the sulfur or iron keeps evolving as you
leach, it will cancel the best efforts, even though you can see the gold to be dissolved,
in the filtrate...treated like any panned, fine gold. You may collect a great deal of fine gold at this
stage, or through amalgamation with mercury.
This method is often preferable to leaching, as it is more direct and no losses occur, although
more is required to collect and use mercury. Leaching is at best a method best applicable to
very fine, gold and precious metals, easily converted to the Gold Chloride forms.
I find it easier to separate the flour gold at this stage than experience losses through leaching,
with just a little patience to pan or otherwise collect it. This is to say, that leaching has it's
limits.
The main ingredients which interfere with leaching are sulfur and iron..remove these through
citric-acid-washing, or ignore them through using amalgamation, are the main choices.
Keep in mind, that no matter how hot the leach mix, if the sulfur or iron keeps evolving as you
leach, it will cancel the best efforts, even though you can see the gold to be dissolved,
| Sediment Processing |
Stubborn, sulfur-loaded or carbonaceous ores, sediments and extracts are common...often you
can smell the rotten-eggs revealing it as you wash and leach.
Best case scenario with concentrated sediments is to dry them to a powder, then "roast"
them...frying pan, hot stove, etc., outside till 400 F temperature or the smell disappears,
indicating the sulfur is gone.
Next, the IRON.
Iron can be ignored in precipitation, but not when leaching, as it robs the chlorine of power...so
best to remove or neutralize it first. Weak acids, such as Oxalic, Citric or Acetic (vinegar) are
best...a wash of the ores or sediments with these will cancel that pesky iron by neutralizing it's
effect. If desired, these can be washed by filtration to remove them in aqueous (water) and the
leach procedure continued.
This does not include cannon-ball sized chunks or iron metal, simply the chelated variety
coating all substances you collected with iron oxides...often staining the river rocks black or
red..a good indicator of the presence of iron.
If your sediments are worth it, you may also wish to consider washing the sediments with Aqua
Regia..the king of leaches. This should only be attempted by those with a reasonable
understanding of the power and dangers of this procedure.
| Updated 10/28/2006 |