Discovered Method for Extraction of Large Quantities of Gold from Mercury
San Francisco-based startup Marathon Fusion has made a bold claim, proposing a groundbreaking method to produce gold from mercury using nuclear transmutation powered by fusion reactors. The company, a 12-person engineering firm founded in 2023, has been exploring nuclear transmutations since the beginning of this year.
The proposed process involves bombarding mercury-198 isotopes with high-energy neutrons generated in fusion reactions, converting them into mercury-197, which then decays into stable gold-197 over about 64 hours. This method, if successful, could offer a more efficient and cost-effective solution for gold production.
Nuclear transmutation, while theoretically possible, remains unproven in practice. The paper describing this technology has not undergone peer review, and its feasibility awaits experimental demonstration. Some experts, however, find the idea intriguing and see it as scientifically plausible.
One such expert is Ahmed Diallo, a plasma physicist at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Princeton National Laboratory, who expressed intrigue and excitement after reading the study. Scientists have previously succeeded in synthesizing gold using particle accelerators, as demonstrated by physicists from the European organization CERN in January.
However, there are caveats to consider. The gold produced might be initially radioactive, requiring long-term storage (up to 18 years) before it becomes safe for practical use. Additionally, the broader challenge of achieving reliable, net-positive fusion energy itself remains unresolved, which affects the feasibility of scaling such transmutation processes.
If successful, a gigawatt-scale fusion plant could produce up to 5,000 kg of gold annually, valued at roughly $600 million. This could potentially double the plant's revenue, considering the estimated value of this amount of gold, at current prices, would be roughly equal to the cost of the generated electricity.
Marathon Fusion's technical director, Adam Rutkowski, previously worked at SpaceX. The company has raised $5.9 million in investments and around $4 million in government grants. The startup aims to address technical challenges related to building fusion power plants and has been working diligently to bring this promising technology to fruition.
Despite the uncertainties, the claim by Marathon Fusion is scientifically plausible but currently unproven. It remains to be seen whether this revolutionary method will revolutionize the gold production industry.
The scientific endeavor by Marathon Fusion to generate gold from mercury via fusion-powered nuclear transmutation, while not yet proven, posits a potential fusion of science, technology, and finance in the gold production sector. If successful, the setback of long-term radioactivity and the challenge of achieving reliable, net-positive fusion energy could open doors for significant advancements in technology and financial opportunities.
