Cupellation is a highly selective process that primarily removes:
Base metals
Noble metals
Non-metallic impurities
Radioactive elements
Cupellation is a process used for the purification of noble metals, particularly silver and gold. It is a selective process that primarily removes base metals from the noble metal alloy.
In cupellation, the alloy containing the noble metal and base metals is heated in a special furnace called a cupel. The cupel is made of a porous material, usually bone ash, which absorbs lead oxide (litharge). When the alloy is heated in the cupel, the lead oxide reacts with the base metals, forming a molten lead alloy that is absorbed into the cupel. At the same time, the noble metal remains unreacted and stays behind in its pure form.
The primary purpose of cupellation is to separate and remove base metals, such as copper, lead, tin, and iron, from the noble metal alloy. The base metals have lower melting points and readily react with the lead oxide to form an alloy that can be absorbed into the cupel. The noble metal, having a higher melting point and being less reactive, remains intact and is recovered in its purified form.
Therefore, cupellation is a highly selective process that primarily removes base metals from the noble metal alloy.