Determination and separation of gold from samples of Indus sands. | [Proceedings of Pakistan Academy of Sciences • 1975]

Author(s):

1. M. S Iqbal: Institute of Chemistry, University of Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan

2. M. Saeed: Institute of Chemistry, University of Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan

3. Zafar M. Iqbal: Institute of Chemistry, University of Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan

Abstract:

Indus river deposits of the northern parts of Pakistan are found to contain gold and other rare metals. These investigations were carried out for the determination and separation of gold by chemical methods applicable to local deposits containing only small amounts of gold. The amount of gold present in the sand samples collected from various northern parts of Indus river was determined and confirmed by volumetric, gravimetric and colorimetric methods. The accuracy of the results and the feasibility of these chemical methods for estimating gold were ensured by performing similar procedures on known amount of AuC13 which indicated an accuracy of 99 to 99.9 % with reproducible results. The amount of gold in various sand samples varied from 0.02 to 0.89 %. Only one of the sand samples collected from Chilas area was found to contain gold even upto 1.27%. The cyanide process for the extraction of even small amounts of gold from Indus sands is found to be the most suitable and recommended over here. Isolation of above 95 % of gold from the clean cyanide solution can be easily carried out with aluminum powder or hydroquinone. Zinc is also a good reducing agent and can be used efficiently for the metallurgical operation of gold. Hydroquinone reduction is found to give better results.

Page(s): 23-29

DOI: DOI not available

Published: Journal: Proceedings of Pakistan Academy of Sciences, Volume: 12, Issue: 1, Year: 1975

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