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Gold Refining with Aqua Regia

Aqua regia is a chemical solvent made from a 3:1 mixture of hydrochloric acid and nitric acid that can dissolve gold and platinum metals. It is commonly used to process gold in industry. When gold reacts with aqua regia, it forms a solution of gold chloride. Similarly, platinum reacts to form chloroplatinic acid or mixtures of chloroplatinic and nitrosoplatinic chloride compounds. The metals can then be recovered through precipitation reactions by adding reagents like sodium metabisulfide or hydrogen peroxide and sodium hydroxide. Kinetic studies provide data on reaction rates and activation energies for these metal dissolution processes.

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Cheng Chao Han
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551 views3 pages

Gold Refining with Aqua Regia

Aqua regia is a chemical solvent made from a 3:1 mixture of hydrochloric acid and nitric acid that can dissolve gold and platinum metals. It is commonly used to process gold in industry. When gold reacts with aqua regia, it forms a solution of gold chloride. Similarly, platinum reacts to form chloroplatinic acid or mixtures of chloroplatinic and nitrosoplatinic chloride compounds. The metals can then be recovered through precipitation reactions by adding reagents like sodium metabisulfide or hydrogen peroxide and sodium hydroxide. Kinetic studies provide data on reaction rates and activation energies for these metal dissolution processes.

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Cheng Chao Han
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Chemical Reaction Aqua Regia for Gold

Aqua regia or in Latin is more known as royal water is a chemical solvent all the metals, where
the solution is the result of mixing a solution of hydrochloric acid (HCl) and a solution
of aqua fort is or more in the know with Nitric Acid (HNO3), which is part of an oxidant the
most powerful. In a mixing between hydrochloric acid (HCl) and Nitric Acid (HNO3) is
3: 1, That is the volume of a solution of 3 parts hydrochloric acid (HCl) was
added to 1 volume part of the solution of Nitric Acid (HNO3)
In practice Aqua regia is often used as a solvent in the processing
of gold metal, and chemicals are often used as a gold refiner. The process is
very simple dissolution happens when metal react gold by aqua regia solution.
Chemical reactions
Au + 3HNO3 + 4HCl HAuCl4 + 3NO2 + 3H2 O
Au (s) + 3 NO3-(aq) + 6 H + (aq) Au3 + (aq) + 3 NO2 (g) + 3 H2O (l) and
Au3 + (aq) + 4 Cl-(aq) AuCl4-(aq).

-rAu=K*C0.25Au*C0.75HNO3*CHCl
K(250c)=0.382 (L/mol.hr), Ea=-110 (KJ/mol)

After the reaction is complete then the next step is the process of settling and separation of
thedeposition solution. The next solution in neutral with the addition of urea to reduce
the residual HNO3, and gold gained by cementation, i.e. precipitation with the addition
of sodium meta-bi-sulfide, as in the following reaction:
2HAuCl 4+3H2O + 3NaHSO3 = 2Au + 8HCl + 3Na2 SO4 + 3SO2

-rHAuCl4=K*CHAuCl4*CNa2s2O51.5*CH2O1.5
K(250c)=1.7*10-8(L3/mol3.hr), Ea= 167.36 (KJ/mol).
Or with theadditionof hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH). Further sedi
mentleft in the wash with hot water and then dried in the melt to be made in a metal

Chemical Reactions Aqua Regia for platinum


Pt (s) + 4 NO 3- (aq) + 8 H+ (aq) Pt4+ (aq) + 4 NO2 (g) + 4 H2O (l)
3Pt (s) + 4 NO 3- (aq) + 16 H+ (aq) 3Pt4+ (aq) + 4 NO (g) + 8 H2O (l)
The oxidized platinum ion then reacts with chloride ions resulting in the chloroplatinate
ion.
Pt4+ (aq) + 6 Cl- (aq) PtCl62- (aq)
Experimental evidence reveals that the reaction of platinum with aqua regia is
considerably more complex. The initial reactions produce a mixture of chloroplatinous
acid (H2PtCl4) and nitrosoplatinic chloride ((NO)2PtCl4). The nitrosoplatinic chloride
is a solid product. If full dissolution of the platinum is desired, repeated extractions of
the residual solids with concentrated hydrochloric acid must be performed.
Pt (s) + 2 HNO3 (aq) + 4 HCl (aq) (NO)2PtCl4 (s) + 3 H2O (l) + 1/2 O2 (g)

-rPt=K*CPt0.25*CHNO30.5*CHCl
K(250c)=0.7411 (L0.75/mol0.75.hr),Ea=59.1 (KJ/mol)
(NO)2PtCl4 (s) + 2 HCl (aq) H2PtCl4 (aq) + NOCl (g)
The chloroplatinous acid can be oxidized to chloroplatinic acid by saturating the
solution with chlorine while heating.

H2PtCl4 (aq) + Cl2 (g) H2PtCl6 (aq)

rH2PtCl4= K* CH2PtCl4 * CCl2K(250c)= (L/mol.hr), Ea= 59.1 (KJ/mol)

REFERENCES
1) K. Liu, W. T. Yen, A. Shibayama and T. Fujita: HydrometallurgyTable 5 Activation energy of some
diffusioncontrolledreactioninthe leaching processes.Authors Metal extractedLeachingsolutionActivation energy(kJ
mol_1)Ref.P. K. Gbor, I. B. Ahmed andC. Q. Jia
Ni, Co and Fe fromnickel smelter slagSO2 (aq)Ea (Co, Fe) = 70 kJ mol_1;Ni 50 kJ mol_1 14)H. Tsucida, E. Narita,H.
Takeuchi, M. Adachiand T. OkabeTi and Fe fromilmenite oreHCl (aqEa (Ti) = 48.9 kJ mol_1;Ea (Fe) = 53.7 kJ mol_1.
2)
Kinetic Study on the Leaching of Pt from Automotive Catalyst Residue by Using Chloride Solutions 2023
2003Proceeding of the 5th International Conference in Honor of
Professor Ian Ritchie, vol. 2 (TMS, 2003) p. 16171628.

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