"Jim Chandler" wrote in message
news:wUyoi.2831$XL4.2785@trndny04...
Harold and Susan Vordos wrote:

"Jim Chandler" wrote in message
news:hvpoi.270$2c7.35@trnddc06...
snip----


Harold:
Do a little research on gold mining and the processes used there. I
think you will find that cyanide is, or was, used in the extraction
process.

Jim


Jim,

I'm well versed in the use of cyanide for extraction, and have used the
process in an agitation tank to recover values from a high grade gold
complex. The operation required the use of bromine, which allowed the
cyanide to dissolve the values. From this process I recovered a mix of
silver and gold.

While you are correct, extraction has nothing to do with refining.
They are two distinctly different processes, which was the point I was,
and still am, addressing. Kinch needs to learn to shut his mouth.

Harold


O.K., I'll go along with that. My idea was that extraction is the first
step in refining. Whatever, it's a case of symantics.

Jim

No, it's not a case of semantics. Not if you understand the chemistry of
gold. Cyanide is unable to separate gold from silver, and can in no way be
construed as a refining process. It is commonly used as an EXTRACTION
process. They are not one and the same, not to those that are informed.
You might say that a colt is a horse, but a horse isn't necessarily a colt.

By sharp contrast, because silver can not remain in solution in the presence
of chlorine, the parting of silver and gold are easily accomplished in an
acid environment.

Harold