Hi Inter refiner, I've read some of your posts, and you are doing some thorough research on the best applicable processes on how to refine PGM's. They are all about how to separate the values from PGM black from anode slimes.
But I get a feeling you are lost in what to do, am I right? I hope it is all limited to theoretical study only.
Spreading your questions over many threads will also not help. Keep it all together to get the bigger picture. it's all in the fine details. And we don't have to start over explaining every new post or read through your posts to understand why you've started yet another one.
Can you explain a bit about where the powders came from, and what the source material is? Did you produce the cell slimes or did you buy them from someone else? and if so, why did the seller sell it in the first place?
Reading Wikipedia to compare the characteristics of these PGM's you want separated, and having zero experience in refining PGM's, I've come to some conclusions (assumptions):
Palladium dissolves in Nitric.
Platina dissolves only in hot AR, very little or not at all in cold AR.
Rhodium only slightly dissolves in AR
Those facts would give you a fairly easy way to separate the palladium by first leaching out the lead and maybe parts of the iron with HCL, dissolving the palladium powders in nitric, filter and cement it out on copper. The copper and iron will also dissolve in nitric, and cementing on Copper will leave any Iron and of course Copper in solution.
That leaves you with cleaned powder only containing Pt and Rh, which I can not help you out with any further. This is advanced chemistry (to me).
The biggest value is in the 55% palladium anyway. Pt is half the value of gold now, and the bit of Rh can be sold in an alloy with the Pt? Do you have a furnace to melt these powders?
I'm probably underestimating it and thinking way to simple.
PGM's are no joke when in solution. Look up Platinosis and be very sure you can work without even getting a micro drop in the air you breathe, on your face or skin or clothes, that could leak trough, or get transferred to other surfaces your wife, children, pets, friends or neighbors may touch... :shock: I wouldn't want that on my conscience.
Consider an accidental glass beaker breaking at the worst possible time... do a risk assessment and setup a procedure and follow that to the tee. How are you going to catch spills and clean it without leaving an area contaminated. Safe disposal of chemical waste? lots to consider in advance
Just sell it at is and maybe live a bit longer?
Be very very very very extremely carefull and stay alive for your loved ones.
Martijn.
edited for correct spelling