How the Gold is melted? – The connection between human and gold is so magnificent and long-lasting. It started from a very long time ago when mankind first found gold and starts to utilize it. We found that gold has really various benefit than any other metal which were extracted from nature.
There was another a lot type of metal as well which has the same process as gold to melt. We already know how gold is formed and it needs a huge amount of pressure and heat to melt it.
Even to produce gold, it needs supernova to collide together and from its radiation heavy element was born. Gold is soft and can be used as precious jewelry and for other electronics tools as well.
It is not easy for any private or individual company to melt it like mercury. The process to melt any color or any quality of gold is very long and need large effort, time, and resources.
Many of us may know that it is in the already molten state under the earth or in the core of the earth. Gold is just a natural phenomenal metal that needs too much heat to be in that state. The only earth core is capable of kept pure gold in that state.
Not only gold but any metal can be in molten state inside the core of the sun. Now, we are going to talk about the same gold but with an artificial process to make it melt again. As we are talking about it, there is no equipment in the whole world which can take out molten gold as same as form from the core.
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It will cool down and again need to purify it with own individual process. The process is divided into a different category and we will look close to it one by one.
How The Gold Is Melted?
A. Collection of correct tools and equipment
We are talking about the right tools for the gold when it meltdown and it is the very first step. The first and foremost step before jump into the process of melting gold is to have all the resources on our side. Some of the resources before starting the process were as follows
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Need to have container and specially crucible
Crucible container is one of the finest containers which are specially manufactured to hold the melted gold. It is so strong that, even gold can melt which it can withstand. This container is designed to sustain huge heat pressure and don’t melt away with it.
Crucible is black in color and very hard looking from the internal and external sides. It is made by graphite carbon which has the capacity to observe more than 1064c of heat which is higher than gold. So, only this type of container can hold that much heat without getting melted.
Now, the next resource is about tongs which will work as a movement of the container. When gold gets melted inside the container then we need to take it out from fire and tongs were used at that time however that tong should be heat resistant.
A normal one won’t work that easily because container heat is exceeding the temperature of gold and it will be hard to handle.
Still, many people have given some easy steps to melt gold but it is just a little theory. We can also melt gold by making little hole inside a potato and place it in the fire. But a small amount of gold can only be melted down and it may take a lot of time as well.
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Remove impurities
Now, before we placing the gold to meltdown we really need to make it pure. Many people may not listen about the substance to pure the gold that is flux. Flux is usually used to put before melting the gold. It is also the mix of sodium and borax and very beneficial for the gold as well.
How much flux should be mix before the melting gold depends upon the purity of the gold? If gold is purer than we need less flux and vice versa. We can use various ways to mix different mixtures to make gold pure.
One of the best methods to make those mixtures is mixing sodium carbonate and borax together. We can also use regular baking soda or bicarbonate to make sodium. Flux is so much popular to clean and make pure gold. So, it leads to clean gold more and more and reduce the crape from gold.
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Safety is necessary
It is the foremost rule for each and everyone who used to work on the gold mining field and gold melting field. Safety is so necessary because it can lead to burning full hand as well. We really need to first see it properly or take nice professional training before melting gold.
We also need a very safe place to melt gold and on an empty surface as well. While melting gold we must see if we have used hand gloves or have to wear a face mask to protect from extreme heat.
All the tools like gloves and masks should be heat resistant in every way. Melting gold is almost having 1,943 degrees Fahrenheit which may burn every item near to it if that is flammable.
B. We can also use medium size heating kit
Well, melting gold is not easy work for everyone. We have other methods as well to melt gold and some of them were.
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Electric furnace
Electrics furnace were the small type of high power kilns which is design to melt metal like gold and silver. We can get them in a lot of supermarkets as well because that is high-level equipment.
These furnaces were pretty affordable too for many people and it helps to reduce time as well. Pure gold needs little more time and heat whereas if gold has a little mixture of silver and copper than it reduces time and melting point.
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Microwave
There was a certain microwave which is very helpful to melt gold. A small quantity of gold can be meltdown by using 1200 watt microwaves. Well, those kinds of microwaves were as simple as other food cooking microwave but we should not use the same microwave for cocking food again.
Those microwaves were not that much expensive as well and have the capacity to melt gold. But don’t put gold directly on microwave rather first put it on gold melting kit and then we can keep it inside the microwave.
C. Propane torch
A propane torch is one of the most used but really dangerous ways to melt any gold within a short period of time. It has a strong flame and radiation heat which uses hydrocarbon gas as fuels.
It is like a group of products of various natural gas and it is manufacture in the same company where liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) manufacture. It is the choice of everyone because it has a lower price than other high melting equipment.
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So much comfortable to store it anywhere and it can be found anywhere. A propane torch is also hard to control and to be very careful while using it. As I said that it has that much power to melt gold within a very short period of time.
Let’s see then how we can use it and melt gold in a minute of time. First, we should place that pure gold into a crucible container which is specially used to melt gold. Now, the next thing we need to do it is to place that whole melting system on the fireproof place.
It is hard to control and need to do it in a very smooth way so that on the propane torch and direct it towards the gold. The second thing we know that borax can be added to gold before melt to lower its melting point and it will a lot of help for a propane torch.
Well, more the melting point of gold gets down than more it will get easier to melt it. Most people made a mistake that they have rushed to melt the gold and directly put full volume propane torch on the gold which may lead to burst or crack the crucible container.
Too much direct heat can crack the container so; the better suggestion is just to do it slowly. Just bring that flame slowly on the point of the gold and it will start to melt it. When the borax powered starts to turning its color into red than we may automatically know that it’s too hot. Well, because of borax powder it gets easy and even becomes a little flexible to melt gold.
Usually melting gold includes a high level of equipment and labor force for large quantities. Those countries use different power sources especially very huge heating machinery tools.
Yes, if we talk about those companies which work as mining of gold than it’s not a big issue to melt gold. We have already talked about some methods to melt gold in our local area and some of them were down below.
- Made cans and tin as a container
It will work if you have a small quantity of gold and really urge to melt it for personal purposes. Some coffee cans may help us out but it needs little preparation before making it a container to melt gold. A small hole inside it on both sides and next to do is put it inside that hole.
Now, time to make some safe place to make a huge digging hole and put a lot of charcoal to burn. Charcoal property is so cool and the best thing about it is that it lasts long enough. After we give enough heat to charcoal, it can burn and give more heating pressure to the cans.
Once, all that set than before lit up a fire we need some powder like borax. We can also use broken beer as borax to give more heat on gold. People don’t have high-quality acid or sodium nitrate to use for melting gold process. To use for it as borax this can be found in any hardware shop or beer bottle to reduce its melting level.
We must be very careful not to give too much heat at once because our container may crake. Instead, give it last long heat and then whenever it needed to raise its temperature.
We can raise its temperature by giving blows of air each time in a certain amount and continue the same process. Many of us have seen that in our near jewelry shop the way they melt the gold. They get old rusty gold mix with other metal and with the help of slow and continue heat, gold starts to meltdown.
When it’s time to melt gold, they have a huge amount of charcoal and a strong small container. Give nonstop heat in the minimum amount is the main process to smelt it. A pure and strong element surely takes time to meltdown and it’s time to give it a shape.
Now, finally, when liquid gold is ready to take a shape it’s better to do it fast before it cools down again. Gold can cool down fast as we can see when it erupts from a volcano.
Inside the earth’s crust, pure gold is in the molten state but whenever it comes up in the surface than within a minute it cools down. To give a shape to smelt gold, sand will be the best supportive way. Sand has a unique nature which it doesn’t push liquid gold away but put it in the same place and cool it down slowly.
Gold is heavier than any other element and needs time and sufficient resources to bring it in a liquid state. Individual people can do it if the amount of gold is really low and they have little bit sufficient resources.
Heating a little harder to gold and changing its shape and melting gold, giving it any jewelry shape we want is a whole different situation. Many people come up with the idea that is it the same thing as melting 10k gold and 20k gold.
It is not very different but pure gold takes time whereas, mix gold may melt fast due to having other metal as well.