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What is Gold Potassium Cyanide used for?
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Can anyone please tell me what gold potassium cyanide is used for. I know it's used for electrogilding, but what is electrogilding? Is it used for anything else?
Thanks!
Lisa- Toronto
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Lisa, Potassium gold cyanide is the chemical used to provide the gold in solution for gold plating. Simply speaking the PGC is dissolved in a solution of potassium cyanide, water and perhaps some potassium hydroxide along with salts (often proprietary products) to provide conductivity to the solution. The gold is deposited onto the work by making the work the cathodic (-) and the metal tank (or other separate anodes) anodic (+) with a low voltage high current direct current power supply. The gold that is dissolved in the solution is deposited by the passage of the electric current onto the work. This is an abbreviated simple example and if you want more info search your local technical library as there are many books written. Try Gold Plating Technology by Reid & Goldie => Regards
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Lisa has asked something I really would like to know but you seemed to have forgotten the question. She asked what was electrogilding. Please answer this question. I really would like to know.
Samanda S.- Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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C'mon now, Samanda :-)
Besides criticizing Mr. Lynch instead of thanking him, you've posted an abstract, contextless, question. If I were to ask "what is sugar?" but nAnd Mr. Lynch did explain electroguilding --
[Electroguilding is a process wherein] the gold is deposited onto the work by making the work the cathodic (-) and the metal tank (or other separate anodes) anodic (+) with a low voltage high current direct current power supply ... The gold that is dissolved in the solution is deposited by the passage of the electric current onto the work.
Where and under what circumstances did you hear the term "electroguilding"? What motivates your question? I have many years experience in industrial metal finishing but cannot recall having heard the term 'electrogilding', but I can put that experience to work and make a very good guess what was meant if you put it into context. Okay, sugar?
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 Ted Mooney, P.E. finishing.com Brick, New Jersey |
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Lisa,
Electrogilding is deposition of gold on electric conductor (cathode) in electrolytic cell.
University of Montenegro - Podgorica, Serbia and Montenegro (former Yugoslavia)