How to Refine Iridium
- Thread starter Mgnaing
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Are you going to tell us how? Or asking a question?
Platinum group metals are generally difficult to refine and I think iridium must be at the top of that difficulty scale, there are few here on the forum with much experience with iridium, Lou might be your best bet if he's not too busy or wishes to share his knowledge.
HAuCl4
Well-known member
It's all here, more or less. Read it well, including the papers there, and ask away. If you already separated all the metals mentioned in your post, then it's even simpler!. 
http://goldrefiningforum.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=51&t=14268
http://goldrefiningforum.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=51&t=14268
There are just two methods to refine iridium (quickly and efficiently): Fusion with sodium chloride in an atmosphere of chlorine and fusion with sodium or barium peroxide (mixed with Na2O 40/60) and solvation in aqua regia or concentrated HCl. The cooled mass from the NaCl/Cl2 method dissolves in water and is afterward acidified with HBr or HCl. Concentrating the solutions and treatment with ammonium chloride precipitates platinum first and then a delayed reaction occurs with the iridium and the ammonium chloride precipitates it as well. Heating or sintering can reduce it to metal, but hydrazine works better. Once precipitated as a metallic, beware that finely divided iridium will self ignite in atmospheric oxygen. If you get some powder on yourself, do not use an air compressor to blow it off. It will ignite. It is illegal to ship powder iridium by air because of it's high flamability.
That's not technically true. Solubilization isn't refining and there are more ways than that...it's also soluble in molten cyanides and it will go under high pressure and temperature solution chlorination.
freechemist
In Remembrance
Mgnaing:
A lot of information about the subject you may find in: "Handbook of Preparative Inorganic Chemistry", Volume 2, second edition, edited by Georg Brauer; 1965, Academic Press.
The book is available, together with the first volume as an ocr-file from: http://library.sciencemadness.org/library/index.html
Good luck and regards, freechemist
labman:
"Once precipitated as a metallic, beware that finely divided iridium will self ignite in atmospheric oxygen."
In my hands, that never happened. We stored small samples of pure Ir-powder for years in small petri-dishes, only loosely covered by a second, somewhat bigger petri dish, as demonstration-samples and for small experiments. I, myself bought once a few grams from a reknown refiner, who sent it to me by ordinary mail as a fine, heavy, grey powder, sealed in a small plastic bag, packed in a small glass container, covered with a plastic-stopper.
A lot of information about the subject you may find in: "Handbook of Preparative Inorganic Chemistry", Volume 2, second edition, edited by Georg Brauer; 1965, Academic Press.
The book is available, together with the first volume as an ocr-file from: http://library.sciencemadness.org/library/index.html
Good luck and regards, freechemist
labman:
"Once precipitated as a metallic, beware that finely divided iridium will self ignite in atmospheric oxygen."
In my hands, that never happened. We stored small samples of pure Ir-powder for years in small petri-dishes, only loosely covered by a second, somewhat bigger petri dish, as demonstration-samples and for small experiments. I, myself bought once a few grams from a reknown refiner, who sent it to me by ordinary mail as a fine, heavy, grey powder, sealed in a small plastic bag, packed in a small glass container, covered with a plastic-stopper.
http://www.acialloys.com/msds/ir.html Read for yourself the official warning of finely divided iridium powder. Maybe what you had wasn't finely divided or was iridium dioxide. My safety warning stands and I hope the boss doesn't find out that I posted this message.
It's a blanket warning for all powdered metals and is as rooted in legal precedence and CYA as it is in actual concern over pyrophoricity.
I handle Ir in many forms (as well as Pd and Pt blacks) and I've only ever had pyrophoricity problems with hydrogen saturated rhenium and palladium or in improperly rinsed spent Adam's catalyst.
Labman, go read the MSDS for water.
I handle Ir in many forms (as well as Pd and Pt blacks) and I've only ever had pyrophoricity problems with hydrogen saturated rhenium and palladium or in improperly rinsed spent Adam's catalyst.
Labman, go read the MSDS for water.
Lou, you are so sure of your superior knowledge and experience. It seems my efforts to help others will always be in vain. Cover yourself with fine iridium powder and then use the air compressor to blow it off. Harold, the temptation to post on the forum is too great and endangers my position here at the refinery. The wisest thing for me to do is to request that you proceed to ban me from this forum. Thank you sir.
I hear that water can be some very dangerous stuff. :lol:
Fine metal powders are much more reactive than the metals they came from, so the warnings on the reactivity of these fine powders should be taken into consideration when we deal with them.
Labman, why the negative reaction, and response, when someone states facts, these facts Lou posted had nothing to do with you or your experience in this field, why the temptations, and accusations that facts endanger your position at the refinery, there is no need to ban you, if you can follow forum rules and give up some of that know it all pride, just stating the facts as you understand them, and learning when you do not understand them correctly, and do not try to use the forum to deceive others, your participation on the forum would be welcome, just be honest in who you are, and work with others to help them and accept their help if they correct misleading information, how else can you learn and we learn from you?
If you do not want to be here on the forum why ask to be banned? You can just not log on if you did not want to be here, besides you know if we banned you could just use another identity, and nothing would change.
Labman please just cut out all of that nonsense.
Fine metal powders are much more reactive than the metals they came from, so the warnings on the reactivity of these fine powders should be taken into consideration when we deal with them.
Labman, why the negative reaction, and response, when someone states facts, these facts Lou posted had nothing to do with you or your experience in this field, why the temptations, and accusations that facts endanger your position at the refinery, there is no need to ban you, if you can follow forum rules and give up some of that know it all pride, just stating the facts as you understand them, and learning when you do not understand them correctly, and do not try to use the forum to deceive others, your participation on the forum would be welcome, just be honest in who you are, and work with others to help them and accept their help if they correct misleading information, how else can you learn and we learn from you?
If you do not want to be here on the forum why ask to be banned? You can just not log on if you did not want to be here, besides you know if we banned you could just use another identity, and nothing would change.
Labman please just cut out all of that nonsense.
jimdoc
Well-known member
Labman seems to follow his mentor, right off the forum.
Adios. We won't miss you.
Jim
Adios. We won't miss you.
Jim
The guy is a troll, plain and simple. He gets on here, sees some subjects, hits Wikipedia, gets his expertise and then talks about the dangers of blowing iridium powder off with an air compressor.
I'd be more worried about micron-sized diamonds getting all over me and those being pyrophoric! That and they will have a much higher heat of combustion...
Rather than addressing how idiotic/ludicrous his scenario is, I merely said that the threat is overly exaggerated and stated my own experience in handling it.
Given that it is very difficult to make IrO2 from the elements intentionally, it would have to be a fluke/freak scenario.
What I was really thinking: what type of refiner gets high value powders all over himself and then blows it all over the place with the air hose? A sloppy amateur who doesn't know iridium from iron? Or intentionally produces a black which are hard to wash and filter? Again, amateur).
Ah, but then I read about how hydrazine is better than calcination (in his first post in this thread) and I knew then that he's an armchair "chemist" who has never reduced iridium salts with hydrazine. By the way, it is a royal pain--N2H4 is absurdly slow and horribly wasteful of hydrazine relative to Pd or Pt. I've done it enough times to say that hydrogen is better, at least for iridium sponge.
Labman, go buy some iridium black, get over to my shop, and I've got a nice big 50 HP air compressor--plenty of air. Bring about 10-15 t oz of it, I want to be completely covered with it. Put your money where your mouth is! If I don't burn to death, I'm going to have you sweep and mop the Ir off the floor and then I am keeping it, refining it, selling it, and donating the proceeds to charity.
And Butcher, you're one of the wisest men I know.
I'd be more worried about micron-sized diamonds getting all over me and those being pyrophoric! That and they will have a much higher heat of combustion...
Rather than addressing how idiotic/ludicrous his scenario is, I merely said that the threat is overly exaggerated and stated my own experience in handling it.
Given that it is very difficult to make IrO2 from the elements intentionally, it would have to be a fluke/freak scenario.
What I was really thinking: what type of refiner gets high value powders all over himself and then blows it all over the place with the air hose? A sloppy amateur who doesn't know iridium from iron? Or intentionally produces a black which are hard to wash and filter? Again, amateur).
Ah, but then I read about how hydrazine is better than calcination (in his first post in this thread) and I knew then that he's an armchair "chemist" who has never reduced iridium salts with hydrazine. By the way, it is a royal pain--N2H4 is absurdly slow and horribly wasteful of hydrazine relative to Pd or Pt. I've done it enough times to say that hydrogen is better, at least for iridium sponge.
Labman, go buy some iridium black, get over to my shop, and I've got a nice big 50 HP air compressor--plenty of air. Bring about 10-15 t oz of it, I want to be completely covered with it. Put your money where your mouth is! If I don't burn to death, I'm going to have you sweep and mop the Ir off the floor and then I am keeping it, refining it, selling it, and donating the proceeds to charity.
And Butcher, you're one of the wisest men I know.
I notice that no one has banned you yet, labman or Dr.Poe or whoever you are this week. Maybe you're still here because it's enjoyable for us to watch you make a fool of yourself. So far, the stupidest thing you've done is to argue with Lou. He can run rings around you.
Lou, it was wrong for me to tell you to do a suicidal act just to prove my point. Please don't do such a thing! I don't care that you don't believe me. I came back on to see if I was indeed banned. My conscience says to me that to allow this to continue is just plain wrong. No, I'm not him; and no I won't reveal any more of the greater facts that the best on the forum seem to be completely devoid. One can't even reveal the common ways to process silver here without a potshot aimed at him. When do you people have time to process precious metals? You seem too busy playing Peyton Place.
jimdoc
Well-known member
Labman said:Lou, it was wrong for me to tell you to do a suicidal act just to prove my point. Please don't do such a thing! I don't care that you don't believe me. I came back on to see if I was indeed banned. My conscience says to me that to allow this to continue is just plain wrong. No, I'm not him; and no I won't reveal any more of the greater facts that the best on the forum seem to be completely devoid. One can't even reveal the common ways to process silver here without a potshot aimed at him. When do you people have time to process precious metals? You seem too busy playing Peyton Place.
You still here?
goldsilverpro said:
We really need a like button!
Labman your attempts to provoke or belittle Butcher earned you my ire and sarcasm but to try and provoke yet another one of our leading and most knowledgeable members, Lou, shows a complete lack of manners, education and common sense. If Lou told me anything I would take that as the truth, he has nothing to prove, he's done that already many many times, as have many others.
Take my advice and if you can't behave in a gentlemanly manner with respect for the forum and it's members, moderators and owner don't bother to post or comment.
