Effects of laboratory treatments on silver and other elements in native gold
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Abstract
Interpretation of the element content of gold and of alloy proportions of gold and silver may have useful applications in prospecting and ore genesis studies. The commonly used methods of concentration and recovery of gold for analysis (acid leach, roasting, or amalgamation), however, alter the content of silver and other elements in the gold. The treatment of gold with four mineral acids (HF, HCL, H2S04, and HNO3) and combinations of these acids, amalgamation of the gold, and roasting the gold in a muffle furnace at 650°C for 8 hours caused losses of 0-100 percent of the elements studied. In some of the samples studied these treatments also caused losses totaling as much as 50 percent, by weight, of the silver content (which made up 20 percent of the total sample weight). The other elements studied show similar behavior to a lesser extent. The results of these studies show that before one interprets compositional analyses for prospecting or other applications he must know to what extent a recovery treatment changes the composition of the elements.
| Publication type | Article |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
| Title | Effects of laboratory treatments on silver and other elements in native gold |
| Series title | Journal of Research of the U.S. Geological Survey |
| Volume | 1 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Year Published | 1973 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | U.S. Geological Survey |
| Publisher location | Reston, VA |
| Description | 10 p. |
| First page | 211 |
| Last page | 220 |
| Online Only (Y/N) | N |
| Additional Online Files (Y/N) | N |
| Google Analytic Metrics | Metrics page |