The form of gold in the rocks

الذهب

Ancient civilizations used gold as a monetary unit for their commercial and economic transactions, and it was also used in the manufacture of jewelry. This metal is considered a very precious metal, and it is a metallic chemical element with atomic number 79 in the periodic table, and it is symbolized by “Au”, and it can be found in nature in the form of granules. It is present inside rocks and at the bottoms of rivers, and its natural state before human intervention is dust, and it is possible to find it in the ground in the form of veins.

Its characteristics

The gold element has taken on great importance from ancient times to the present day. Due to its characteristics that distinguish it from other metals, it is worth noting that gold was used in the ancient era of the Pharaohs, in royal coffins, chariots and masks.

• Gold is characterized by its bright yellow or light color, and the degree of yellowness depends on the amount of silver mixed with it.
• A ductile and malleable metallic element.
• Gold has less corrosion.
• Gold is a very dense element.
• Gold is soft.

Its uses

• Gold is used in the manufacture of jewelry and ornaments for decoration, and they are made of yellow gold.
• It is used in the manufacture of gold teeth, and in dentistry in general. Due to its resistance to corrosion in the mouth.
• Gold enters the treatment of bone infections and rheumatism using its solution.
• It is used in the treatment of cancer, especially radioactive gold 198.
• Used in high-end roller making as a reflective coating.
• Gold is stored in the form of bars or coins for investment.
• Insoluble in acids.
• It is soluble in aqua regia, which is an acidic solution or mixture, consisting of hydrochloric and nitric.

gold mining

The gold metal is subject to a number of processes that lead to its extraction from its mines and where it is located, using certain techniques, which have evolved from primitive methods to highly developed methods at the present time, and it is worth noting that gold prospectors used the method of placing river mud in a metal container It is deep, and it is called “the bowl” and it is filled with water, and the stirring is in a circular way, and the purity of gold is measured in karats, and gold is pure when it is equivalent to twenty-four karats.

ways to extract it

The methods of extracting gold from its mines are classified as follows:

• The cyanide method: This method is considered the best among the gold extraction methods, due to its efficiency in the extraction process by 96%, and the amount of pollutants harmful to the environment resulting from this method is less than others, and its cost is lower, and the materials used in the extraction process can be recycled again.
• The royal water method: This method is very dangerous. Due to the gases used in it, it needs knowledge and knowledge of the process of precipitating gold among the minerals.
• Lead method: This method is 100% efficient, but one of its most significant drawbacks is its high cost and the riskiness of the gold recovery process.