Iron in copper anodes

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BGDOCK

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Richmond
Hey guys ,

This weekend I smelted some of my PMGS from the stock pot and copper from the waste stream ( iron bucket ) . I used a flux ( sodium carbonate, borax , silca from my used crucibles and a chunk of iron ) I found some iron chunks in a couple of anodes . I’m running the alloys through a copper cell . Will the iron pieces make iron sulfate in the solution or will iron just stay in solution or both ? There isn’t much iron in the anodes less than 3-5 percent ? The solution hasn’t turned green yet . Has anyone had similar experiences . I’m running a 3Liter cell with about 100 ml of Sulphuric Acid in it .
Jeff
 

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BGDOCK said:
Hey guys ,

This weekend I smelted some of my PMGS from the stock pot and copper from the waste stream ( iron bucket ) . I used a flux ( sodium carbonate, borax , silca from my used crucibles and a chunk of iron ) I found some iron chunks in a couple of anodes . I’m running the alloys through a copper cell . Will the iron pieces make iron sulfate in the solution or will iron just stay in solution or both ? There isn’t much iron in the anodes less than 3-5 percent ? The solution hasn’t turned green yet . Has anyone had similar experiences . I’m running a 3Liter cell with about 100 ml of Sulphuric Acid in it .
Jeff
Click to expand...
I can't quite follow your reasoning for this?
You take a relatively clean product (PMs with a hint of Copper) and mix with a dirty product (Copper with some Iron),
then for safe measure you throw some dirt (Iron) into the mix and smelt it.
Can you explain the idea behind this?

Then you are going to put this in an electrolytic cell to get some more slimes,
but since your start product is dirty you need to run it several times.

Did I miss something?
 
I didn’t feel like processing it chemically right now it’s cold and can run it through a copper cell . I would not call the cemented material pure from my stock pot . It an experiment Yagg. Do you have an answer about iron sulphate or iron being formed ? I did not throw dirt in it ,. Doesn’t iron remove sulphates when smelting ?
I like running electrolytic cells that’s why,
Edited for clarity
 
Last edited:
BGDOCK said:
I didn’t feel like processing it chemically right now it’s cold and can run it through a copper cell . I would not call the cemented material pure from my stock pot . It an experiment Yagg. Do you have an answer about iron sulphate or iron being formed ? I did not throw dirt in it ,. Doesn’t iron remove sulphates when smelting ?
I like running electrolytic cells that’s why,
Edited for clarity
Click to expand...
Sulfides yes, but what kind of Sulfides did you have in pure metals?
And the cement slimes will be just as pure as the electrolytic slimes, maybe even cleaner.
As an experiment it may be Ok, it just do not make much sense to me.
 
Yagg ,
I have run sulphuric acid and copper sulphate through my waste treatment so stream so it cold be , copper sulphate , silver sulphate , etc . I maded a flux , used copper as a collector , iron to reduce the sulphates , I wanted to use a minimal amt of chemicals . I figured run it through the copper cell collect the slimes and process this batch of slimes , with my silver cell slimes .
Can I get the iron issue under control through the addition of sulphuric acid and keeping the Ph of the electrolyte lower?

Edited : spelled Ph wrong
 
Last edited:
BGDOCK said:
Yagg ,
I have run sulphuric acid and copper sulphate through my waste treatment so stream so it cold be , copper sulphate , silver sulphate , etc . I maded a flux , used copper as a collector , iron to reduce the sulphates , I wanted to use a minimal amt of chemicals . I figured run it through the copper cell collect the slimes and process this batch of slimes , with my silver cell slimes .
Can I get the iron issue under control through the addition of sulphuric acid and keeping the oh of the electrolyete lower?
Click to expand...
Too late to correct that part now.
Just run it, but I suspect you need to run it several runs.
The Copper should be in the 99 range before the cell if it is to get pure Copper.
 
BGDOCK said:
I thought 95 % was the range
Click to expand...
The purer the feed stock will lead to less contamination of the end product.
Usually impure blister Copper at 99% is the feed stock.
Anyway, it is what it is now.
Lesson should be, ask before doing.
 
I did my due diligence in researching the flux recipe to smell copper and silver on the forum I think it’s something along the lines like this :
1 part borax ( anhydrous )
1 part sodium carbonate
1 part silca
A collector metal I used copper not lead
And Iron to reduce sulphates
I didn’t anticipate the iron pieces being a problem because i didn’t think ferrous and non ferrous metals would fuse and that I could collect the iron at the end of the pour . It was a 1 1/2 inch nut .
I found a few pieces in the bars less than 3-5 percent . The solution is still blue ( copper sulphate ) not green ( iron sulphate ) the anode is copper colored so far black or red . There has not been an issue yet , I just would like to clear up something sbout iron/ iron sulphate or both in the solution . if any one had encountered this before.
 
BGDOCK said:
I did my due diligence in researching the flux recipe to smell copper and silver on the forum I think it’s something along the lines like this :
1 part borax ( anhydrous )
1 part sodium carbonate
1 part silca
A collector metal I used copper not lead
And Iron to reduce sulphates
I didn’t anticipate the iron pieces being a problem because i didn’t think ferrous and non ferrous metals would fuse and that I could collect the iron at the end of the pour . It was a 1 1/2 inch nut .
I found a few pieces in the bars less than 3-5 percent . The solution is still blue ( copper sulphate ) not green ( iron sulphate ) the anode is copper colored so far black or red . There has not been an issue yet , I just would like to clear up something sbout iron/ iron sulphate or both in the solution . if any one had encountered this before.
Click to expand...
Iron is used to reduce Sulfides.
Edit to add:
Sulfates are water soluble so they won't even be there.
 
Last edited:
BGDOCK said:
Hey guys ,

This weekend I smelted some of my PMGS from the stock pot and copper from the waste stream ( iron bucket ) . I used a flux ( sodium carbonate, borax , silca from my used crucibles and a chunk of iron ) I found some iron chunks in a couple of anodes . I’m running the alloys through a copper cell . Will the iron pieces make iron sulfate in the solution or will iron just stay in solution or both ? There isn’t much iron in the anodes less than 3-5 percent ? The solution hasn’t turned green yet . Has anyone had similar experiences . I’m running a 3Liter cell with about 100 ml of Sulphuric Acid in it .
Jeff
Click to expand...
If you have too much iron, it will go to the cathode. But i think if the concentration is 5%, a lot will stay in solution.
 
Hello,
If there is Copper and iron on anodes,
Maybe you will not see any differrence at start,
But accumulation on iron in solution, will reduce your copper percentage time by time.
When is fullfill the solution ( in silver electrolysis copper as 8% in solution starts reduce silver percentage from 99.99%) it may reduce copper quality.
FYI.
 
Thanks again I really made I mistake smelting g the bars . There are some pieces of vida me iron chucks I was thinking I could just cut out . Then put in the anode basket . If it plates on the copper cathode I’m ok w/ that my goal was to recover the slimes the cathode be used elsewhere Thanks again for your input .

Jeff
 
BGDOCK said:
Thanks again I really made I mistake smelting g the bars . There are some pieces of vida me iron chucks I was thinking I could just cut out . Then put in the anode basket . If it plates on the copper cathode I’m ok w/ that my goal was to recover the slimes the cathode be used elsewhere Thanks again for your input .

Jeff
Click to expand...
I assumed so.
That was the reason I got so surprised when you took relatively pure slimes and melted them int another impure lump.
 

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