What are the gold dissolving agents?
There are three main types of gold dissolving agents: aqua regia, cyanide solution, and thiourea solution. Aqua regia is a mixture of concentrated nitric acid and concentrated hydrochloric acid in a 1:3 ratio and has strong dissolving power; cyanide solution dissolves quickly but is highly toxic; thiourea solution is relatively safe and environmentally friendly, but dissolves slowly.
Comparison of the characteristics of different dissolving agents:
Dissolving efficiency: Cyanide solution is the fastest, followed by aqua regia, and thiourea solution is the slowest.
- Safety: Thiourea solution is the safest; aqua regia is corrosive; cyanide is highly toxic.
- Application scope: Aqua regia is suitable for laboratory use; cyanide is used in industry; thiourea is suitable for small-scale use.
