1000ee-monarch
Member
- Joined
- Nov 30, 2011
- Messages
- 7
Trying to find the best approach to refine a bunch of gold plated copper blocks. Here’s what I’ve done so far:
Mechanically scraped the plating that was loose. I’m guessing that accounted for 1% of the gold in the whole batch. Melted with borax and that yielded a 0.89g button (flattened in photo). This gave me reason to think it’s worth perusing further.
Put a sample of blocks in 30% HCl solution with some 3% H2O2 and heated up. The acid attacked the copper however did not make the gold peel. Unlike “fingers”, these have a lot more copper and the acid is more interested in going down into the copper than sideways and peeling the gold off.
Thinking about next logical step.... electrolysis? Hydrochloric with Chlorine? Sell on a Ebay? Send to a refiner?
Much appreciate the help and advice here!
Alex
Mechanically scraped the plating that was loose. I’m guessing that accounted for 1% of the gold in the whole batch. Melted with borax and that yielded a 0.89g button (flattened in photo). This gave me reason to think it’s worth perusing further.
Put a sample of blocks in 30% HCl solution with some 3% H2O2 and heated up. The acid attacked the copper however did not make the gold peel. Unlike “fingers”, these have a lot more copper and the acid is more interested in going down into the copper than sideways and peeling the gold off.
Thinking about next logical step.... electrolysis? Hydrochloric with Chlorine? Sell on a Ebay? Send to a refiner?
Much appreciate the help and advice here!
Alex