Removing Mercury From Gold

An easy and safe way to burn off mercury coated gold with a small propane torch -- outdoors, up wind, no sweat, and olny takes a few seconds...then soak in SimpleGreen cleaner...

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• gold
• panning
• prospecting
• mercury

[C0017A]

Steepline1,

You are welcome... Simple, no big deal in the amounts of mercury we're talking about....I have to do this maybe once or twice a year. Outside, stay up wind, don't breathe any vapors. Obviously, IF I had a LOT I'd use a retort. This is atoms thick on that little amount of fine placer gold.

Cheers, Randy C-17A triple w (dot) goldadventures (dot) biz

[C0017A]

Exenrontexas,

Good idea...I now have a tripod. I made the video on the spur of the moment one night on my back patio. Trying to hold the camera, the small propane torch and talk was a lot. Anyways, you get the idea by the end. A few passes of the torch, and poof, mercury is vaporized. Don't heat so much my lead pieces may melt and bond to your gold! Cheers. Randy C-17A

[C0017A]

Greetings,

Any heat source can work...I use a little hand help propane torch.........a little wanding it over the gold and "poof" the mercury is gone. I have heard others put the pan on their BBQ outside and heat it until the mercury vaporizes. Do it outside, stay upwind, don't breathe any vapors. C-17A

[C0017A]

Kelt76,

Agree 100%. I have to do this maybe once or twice a year at most.

Gregconquest,

Sorry on the camera work...I did it all by myself at night on my back patio. Operating the torch was job # 1, and I tried to hold the camera pointed at the operation as best I could. It was made for a buddy, not really intended to post it here as a cinamgraphic work of art, but did anyways, as I hope you got the idea. Cheers, Randy C-17A

[C0017A]

Jessgo33,

Yes, the mercury will vaporize off just the same. May take a moment or two longer and leave your with a little litle ball of what is called sponge gold. A little chunk of all the individual specks conglomerated together. Usually a dull gold color. I say keep the BB size ball in an airtight glass vial. Use it whenever to roll around in the last bit of black sands you have -50 mesh and finer. Let it amalgamate with what it can until it won't roll. THEN heat it in fresh air. Randy C-17A

[C0017A]

Mogges1,

Also, a very cheap way to get mercury easily is buying/salvaging used mercury switches for house A/C & heater thermostats.

Randy "C-17A"

[nominalvelocity]

@C0017A If these guys understood just how much mercury is released, virtually unfiltered, by coal burning power plants, they'd collectively shit themselves. Never mind the hundreds of tons of uranium, thorium, and myriad of other fun heavy metals which are pumped into the atmosphere as a consequence of enjoying their electricity so they can post ill-informed comments.

[C0017A]

Guys, guys, guys...

I don't mine with mercury & I don't amalgamate gold & mercury to later retort, or I'd use a retort. I maybe get a gram or two of gold at most a year as I pan, sluice dredge contaminated with mercury and once a year put it in a pan & burn it off. This mercury is only atoms thick on the gold and a retort would be a waste of time. Every house size flourescent bulb has 3-5 milligrams mercury, and billions are made every year. Lots break, or are thrown away. Go after that...

[steepline1]

Good info. Thanks man. Appreciate it.

[caessarion]

i use thermite

[exenrontexas]

Please buy and use a tripod.  I realize that it is hard to do a process and hold the camera at the same time so...the tripod is a cheap and easy solution.

[humby123]

Sorry if you've been drilled with this question before. What's the easiest place to get mercury from? thermometers?

[bhart63]

WOW GREAT VIDEO can i use a torch lighter

[micregil]

@C0017A the best & safest way to remove mercury from gold is to slice a potato in half, scoop out a piece in the middle, put in your gold, put the potato back together, bake it outdoors in a safe place. the mercury will go into the potato, leaving the gold in the little pocket you scooped out. make sure you dont breathe the vapors, and dispose of the potato in a safe place. cool.