How To Make Pure Gold

How to Make Pure Gold
The Miller and Wohlwill Processes
Manhattan Gold & Silver | 45 W 47th Street | New York, NY 10036 | 212-398-1454
Refining Pure Gold
• Many industries require samples of pure gold.
– However, pure gold is extremely rare in traditional mining.
• Pure gold must be created by professional metal

refiners.
• Two popular techniques for creating pure gold are

the Miller Process and the Wohlwill Process.
2013 © Manhattan Gold & Silver

www.mgsrefining.com | 212-398-1454
Miller Process Materials
• Dr. Francis Bowyer Miller rocked the world of gold
refining when he created a cheap and easy way to
purify gold – the Miller Process.
• The Miller Process requires these components:

– Sample of impure gold
– Induction furnace
– Graphite crucible
– Chlorine gas

How the Miller Process Works
• Gold is inert to a majority of chemicals. Its impurities
(such as zinc, copper and iron) are not.
• The first step in the Miller Process is to use an

induction furnace to melt the gold sample in a
crucible.
• Once the sample is liquefied pure chlorine gas is

blown across it.
– This causes the impurities to form chlorides which rise to
the top of the crucible.

How the Miller Process Works
• The final step is to skim the chlorides off the
surface of the melted gold.
• Once the chlorides have been removed the

gold that remains is about 99.95% pure gold…
• But for some applications that isn’t pure

enough.

Wohlwill Process Materials
• Hans Emil Wohlwill developed a method to create
even purer samples of gold – the Wohlwill Process.
– However, it’s much more expensive and complex than
the Miller Process.
• The Wohlwill Process requires:

– An anode – an electrode through which electric current
flows into a polarized electrical device.
– An cathode – an electrode through which electric current
flows out of a polarized electrical device.
– An electrolyte – an electrically conductive substance.

The Anode, Cathode,
and Electrolyte
• Each component is made of gold.
– The anode is made of somewhat impure gold,

about 95% purity or higher. (Lower purity will
reduce the efficiency of the Wohlwill Process).
– The cathode is made out of pure 24k gold sheets.
– The electrolyte is pure chloroauric acid which is
made by dissolving gold in aqua regia.

How the Wohlwill Process Works
• With the components properly arranged an electric
current is applied.
• Electricity travels from the anode through the

conductive electrolyte and into the cathode.
– When this occurs the gold in the impure anode dissolves
and its ions travel through the chloroauric acid then
electroplate or “stick” to the 24k gold cathode.
• This Wohlwill Process continues until the anode is

completely dissolved.
– The pure gold cathode is then melted down to be used.

Miller vs. Wohlwill
• To perform the Wohlwill Process a refiner
must have enough gold for anodes, cathodes
and chloroauric acid.
– It takes gold to make gold.
• Unless ultra-high purity gold is needed the

Miller Process is the preferred way to purify
gold.

About MGS
• Manhattan Gold & Silver (MGS) is a precious metals refiner that has been
based in Manhattan’s historic Diamond District since 1985. We are a B2B
company that buys and recycles precious metal scraps that accumulate in
other businesses.
• We serve:
– Jewelers
– Pawnbrokers
– Dentists
– The industrial sector
– Antique dealers
– Machinists
– And more!
• MGS also creates charts, calculators, and other online tools for our
customers to use.
– Try our Precious Metals Prices app, which lets you monitor the real-time precious metals
market situation from anywhere, right from your iPhone, iPad, or Android device.
Recycle your Precious
Metals for Profit
• MGS accepts gold, silver, platinum, and palladium.
• Payouts are based on the London Fixing.
• Up to 99% payout (among the highest in the US)

– Up to 98.5% for gold brought in for hand testing.
• Not in NYC? Ship us your precious metals using our

Ship & Sell service which offers:
– Same day wired payment (once lot is received)
– Discounted, insured shipping
– Payout calculator
Connect with MGS
• For amazing facts, history and news, read our gold and precious
metals blog.
• Join the conversation about precious metals on the MGS page on

Facebook.
• Follow gold, silver, and other precious metal trends at the MGS
Twitter account.
• Circle MGS on Google+ to hear our latest updates.
• If you do business with us, connect with us on the MGS LinkedIn

page.
• To see precious metal melting and refinement in action, visit the

MGS YouTube channel.

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What are the two main processes described for refining gold?

What are the two main processes described for refining gold?

What are the main steps of the Miller Process?

What are the main steps of the Miller Process?

How to Make Pure Gold

The Miller and Wohlwill Processes

• Pure gold must be created by professional metal

• Two popular techniques for creating pure gold are

2013 © Manhattan Gold & Silver

• The Miller Process requires these components:

2013 © Manhattan Gold & Silver

• The first step in the Miller Process is to use an

• Once the sample is liquefied pure chlorine gas is

2013 © Manhattan Gold & Silver

• Once the chlorides have been removed the

• But for some applications that isn’t pure

2013 © Manhattan Gold & Silver

• The Wohlwill Process requires:

2013 © Manhattan Gold & Silver

– The anode is made of somewhat impure gold,

2013 © Manhattan Gold & Silver

• Electricity travels from the anode through the

• This Wohlwill Process continues until the anode is

2013 © Manhattan Gold & Silver

• Unless ultra-high purity gold is needed the

2013 © Manhattan Gold & Silver

• Payouts are based on the London Fixing.

• Up to 99% payout (among the highest in the US)

• Not in NYC? Ship us your precious metals using our

• Join the conversation about precious metals on the MGS page on

• Circle MGS on Google+ to hear our latest updates.

• If you do business with us, connect with us on the MGS LinkedIn

• To see precious metal melting and refinement in action, visit the

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