We can deliver mercury for gold extraction from China based on CIF. The purity is 99.999%. The standard packaging is 34.5KG/barrel.
Disclaimer: The clients shall decide to use it legally based on local laws and regulations. At the same time, the clients be pretty sure that they can do customs clearance at the destination port. We don’t take any risk and loss caused by failed customs clearance. We don’t take any responsibilities any illegal application.
Warning and recommendation:
In the process of gold extraction, the traditional method of using mercury is called amalgamation, but this method has been banned by most countries in the world due to its extreme harm to the environment and human health. The following is the key information and safe alternatives about mercury gold extraction:
I. Principles and risks of amalgamation
1. Operation steps
Amalgam formation: gold-containing ore or gold sand is mixed with mercury, and mercury and gold form a mercury alloy (amalgam).
Distillation separation: Heat the amalgam to the boiling point of mercury (356℃), and the mercury evaporates to leave crude gold.
Gold purity: The purity of gold after purification is usually only 70%~85%, and the residual mercury needs further treatment.
2. Fatal risks
Health hazards:
Mercury vapor can cause irreversible nerve damage, liver and kidney failure, and even death.
Long-term exposure can cause "mercury poisoning" (symptoms: tremors, memory loss, mental abnormalities).
Environmental damage:
Mercury pollutes water sources and soil, enriches through the food chain, and harms the ecosystem.
3. Legal consequences:
According to Article 338 of the Criminal Law of China, illegal use of mercury to extract gold is classified as a crime of environmental pollution, with a maximum sentence of 7 years in prison.
The Minamata Convention on Mercury, signed by 178 countries (including China), completely prohibits the industrial use of mercury to extract gold.
II. Alternatives to mercury gold extraction
1. Low-cost and environmentally friendly method (suitable for small miners)
Method | Principle | Purity | Advantage |
Gravity separation | Separation of gold particles using shaker and centrifuge | 90%~95% | No chemicals are required, the equipment is simple and the cost is low. |
Thiourea leaching method | Thiourea + oxidant selectively dissolves gold | 95%~99% | Non-toxic, fast reaction, replaces cyanide and mercury |
Borax smelting method | Borax reduces melting point and separates impurities | 85%~90% | Low cost, suitable for manual operation |
2. Environmentally friendly method (suitable for large mines)
Method: FKN environmentally friendly gold extraction agent + sodium m-nitrobenzene sulfonate
III. Emergency treatment if mercury has been used
If you have been exposed to mercury-containing raw materials, please take the following measures immediately:
Stop operation: Evacuate the contaminated area and avoid inhaling mercury vapor.
Professional cleaning:
Mercury leakage: Cover with sulfur powder (generate mercuric sulfide fixation) and hand it over to the hazardous waste company for disposal.
Contaminated tools: sealed packaging, marked "mercury-containing waste".
Medical examination: Detect blood mercury concentration and perform chelating agent treatment (such as sodium dithiopropane sulfonate) if necessary.
IV. Compliance procurement and technical support
1. Alternative reagent and equipment suppliers
FKN Group limited can supply one-stop solution for gold mining industry.
2. Government support channels
Ministry of Ecology and Environment of China: Provide environmentally friendly gold extraction technology subsidies (official website: www.mee.gov.cn).
United Nations Development Program (UNDP): Fund mercury replacement projects in developing countries (official website: www.undp.org).
V. Important reminders
Legal bottom line: Any form of mercury gold extraction is illegal, do not test the law!
Technology selection: Legal and environmentally friendly processes have lower long-term costs and no health risks.