Gold Refinery Mass Balance
Track precious metals through product, byproducts, residues and inventory.
Where this fits
Track precious metals through product, byproducts, residues and inventory. The goal is to explain its place in the wider mine-to-metal system rather than turn the subject into an operating manual.
How the system works
Refining starts with a gold-rich feed rather than raw ore. Doré and secondary precious-metal materials are sampled, assayed and processed into products meeting controlled purity specifications.
Important tradeoffs
High-temperature, chemical and electrochemical refining methods are hazardous professional processes; this site describes flows and quality systems rather than operating conditions.
What professionals monitor
Commercial accountability depends on weighing, representative sampling, assay, inventory and reconciliation of precious metals across each boundary.
Lifecycle perspective
Residues and byproducts can still contain valuable metals, so professional refineries treat them as accountable material rather than ordinary waste.