Hobbies And Interests
Miller Process
The Miller industrial process refines scrap metal with an unknown but measurable content of gold into gold with a purity of 98 to 99 percent. The Miller process begins when scrap metal is melted into chunks small enough to put into crucibles, using a furnace and some form of granulator. Granulators make the gold chips look like corn flakes, with a high surface area, so that during the chemical process all gold is thoroughly treated. The gold flakes are put into a crucible, which is heated until the metal becomes molten, and then aerated with chlorine gas. The chlorine gas reacts with all metal that isn't gold, so that the chlorides created can be separated from the gold, creating a fine product.
Wohlwill Process and High Purity Levels
The Wohlwill process produces gold of a purity greater than 99.99 percent. The Wohlwill process involves electrolysis, in which an ingot of more than 95 percent gold is suspended in chloroauric acid. The ingot is called the anode; the cathodes, 24 karat gold strips, are also floating in the chamber. Electric current is run through the chloroauric acid, and the acid and electrolysis dissolve the anode and collect pure gold on the cathodes. These cathodes are taken out and melted down into fine gold. Often industry locations use first the Miller process followed by the Wohlwill process, although the Wohlwill process is more expensive, requires more equipment and requires high gold inventories.
Primary Refining: Cyanide Leeching
Primary refining, or gold mining, is very controversial now because of it's environmental impact. Primary techniques make use of dangerous chemicals, mar natural landforms, and often do not successfully bring wealth to gold-mining regions because of political and social instability. Cyanide leeching is used on rubble with gold ore deposits; the cyanide is collected and removed from the "tailings" of gold, though sometimes escaping into the environment and harming gold miners. For every ounce of gold brought up from the ground and refined to purity, somewhere between five and 50 tons of material will be used. This has prompted an increased emphasis on environmental best practices and sustainability.