An Engaging Geology and Chem Class!
Posted by Ken Germain
on Aug 11, 2015
"There's GOLD in them there hills!"...
Yes; and there's poisonous forever, MERCURY.. in that there GOLD!
Ted Reimchem gave us a lesson on how mercury has been used during the extraction process of gold and silver for the last 5000 years.
He has developed a process which separates mercury from the amalgam/clay/gravel silt. Also the precious metals which the freshly introduced mercury has encapsulated.
Re-use would seem profitable as well as an environmentally more sound.
Some stats:
45,000 tonnes of mercury were used in California, alone between 1820-1930. 60% of amalgam is gold.
Very little has been recovered in Brazil or Canada.
Coal for energy accounts for 50% of all present day pollution.
Alberta's 8 coal fired energy plants produce 1180 kgs of mercury annually.
Ted, happily working, swapping engineering stories with Art Baird.