Dore bar
Encyclopedia
A doré bar is a semi-pure alloy
of gold
and silver
, usually created at the site of a mine. It is then transported to a refinery
for further purification
.
The proportions of silver and gold can vary widely. Doré bars weigh as much as 25 kg.
, the creation of doré bars is conducted at establishments engaged either in "Gold Ore Mining" (NAICS
Code 212221), or "Primary Smelting and Refining of Nonferrous Metal (except Copper and Aluminum)" (NAICS
Code 331419).
Alloy
An alloy is a mixture or metallic solid solution composed of two or more elements. Complete solid solution alloys give single solid phase microstructure, while partial solutions give two or more phases that may or may not be homogeneous in distribution, depending on thermal history...
of gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
and silver
Silver
Silver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...
, usually created at the site of a mine. It is then transported to a refinery
Refinery
A refinery is a production facility composed of a group of chemical engineering unit processes and unit operations refining certain materials or converting raw material into products of value.-Types of refineries:Different types of refineries are as follows:...
for further purification
Refining (metallurgy)
Refining consists of purifying an impure material, in this case a metal. It is to be distinguished from other processes such as smelting and calcining in that those two involve a chemical change to the raw material, whereas in refining, the final material is usually identical chemically to the...
.
The proportions of silver and gold can vary widely. Doré bars weigh as much as 25 kg.
Associated industry codes
According to the United States Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the creation of doré bars is conducted at establishments engaged either in "Gold Ore Mining" (NAICS
NAICS
The North American Industry Classification System or NAICS is used by business and government to classify business establishments according to type of economic activity in Canada, Mexico and the United States...
Code 212221), or "Primary Smelting and Refining of Nonferrous Metal (except Copper and Aluminum)" (NAICS
NAICS
The North American Industry Classification System or NAICS is used by business and government to classify business establishments according to type of economic activity in Canada, Mexico and the United States...
Code 331419).
Derivation of the term
The term likely derives from French or Spanish. In each language, the verb doré means to gild or make golden.See also
- Ore genesisOre genesisThe various theories of ore genesis explain how the various types of mineral deposits form within the Earth's crust. Ore genesis theories are very dependent on the mineral or commodity....
- Gold miningGold miningGold mining is the removal of gold from the ground. There are several techniques and processes by which gold may be extracted from the earth.-History:...
- Gold extractionGold extractionGold extraction or recovery from its ores may require a combination of comminution, mineral processing, hydrometallurgical, and pyrometallurgical processes to be performed on the ore....
- SmeltingSmeltingSmelting is a form of extractive metallurgy; its main use is to produce a metal from its ore. This includes iron extraction from iron ore, and copper extraction and other base metals from their ores...
- Gold barGold barA gold bar is a quantity of refined metallic gold of any shape that is made by a bar producer meeting standard conditions of manufacture, labeling, and record keeping....
- ElectrumElectrumElectrum is a naturally occurring alloy of gold and silver, with trace amounts of copper and other metals. It has also been produced artificially. The ancient Greeks called it 'gold' or 'white gold', as opposed to 'refined gold'. Its color ranges from pale to bright yellow, depending on the...
