Recovery of gold from scrap

CHED 1235

Daniélle E. Berry and Gregory L. Milligan, gmilligan@stmartin.edu. Department of Chemistry, Saint Martin's University, 5300 Pacific Ave, Lacey, WA 98503
Gold and gold compounds from a variety of scrap sources were recovered and converted to metallic gold. Sources included a broken container of gold chloride admixed with vermiculite packing material, a solution of gold chloride of unknown provenance and concentration, and raw placer gold. The gold sources were converted to gold chloride with aqua regia, purified by extraction with butyl diglyme, and reduced to Au0 with aqueous oxalic acid.