# Gold from lead.

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gold-from-lead/285684>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [January 20, 2005, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gold-from-lead/285684 "2005-01-20T05:34:01Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![antechinus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/fbc32d/32.png) [@antechinus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/antechinus)\
**Post date:** [January 20, 2005, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gold-from-lead/285684/21 "2005-01-20T23:03:56Z")

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**DocCathode** - an interesting proposition.

This alchemy of which you speak, with its transmutation, rubedo and the like - will it allow me to convert standard, unleaded motor vehicle engine fuel to 110 octane? Or is leaded fuel required?  
**Tapioca Dextrin** - Your reasoning is sound. If we can get our hands on enough of those old-timey lead pencils, a non-ferrous scrap merchant will buy the Pb for US$1000/tonne.

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**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\
**Post date:** [January 21, 2005, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gold-from-lead/285684/22 "2005-01-21T01:15:00Z")

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> [@antechinus](#):
>
> This alchemy of which you speak, with its transmutation, rubedo and the like - will it allow me to convert standard, unleaded motor vehicle engine fuel to 110 octane? Or is leaded fuel required?

Depends. Do you want it in tablet form?

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**Author:** ![antechinus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/fbc32d/32.png) [@antechinus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/antechinus)\
**Post date:** [January 21, 2005, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gold-from-lead/285684/23 "2005-01-21T03:07:30Z")

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> [@Cervaise](#):
>
> Depends. Do you want it in tablet form?

Now your talking. Water soluble tablets.

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**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\
**Post date:** [January 21, 2005, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gold-from-lead/285684/24 "2005-01-21T03:56:31Z")

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I remember learning in a chemistry course that you can convert among protons, neutrons and electrons. That is how they get plutonium 239 out of uranium 238. I do not know if you can get gold out of lead though. Walmart may carry a nuclear reactor kit in the toy section next to the toy chemistry sets. Or you can build your own, I saw some plans in the back of popular science.

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