Recovering Black Powder from the Cell

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Hello all. I have a question regarding the red-brown residue from my final filter. I processed about 20 grams of plated computer e-scrap using a copper screen cell set up per Steve's video. I carefully followed directions with several decant/washings then dropped with SMB. If I understand the SMB process, you should only need about as much SMB as the amount of powder that you expect to drop. This did not work out in my case. I probably had to use 10 times this amount before getting any thing to drop. When doing the wash of the dropped red-brown material, some of the color bled through the filter. Notice the parfait look of the colors in the jar. The contents of the jar tested negative for Gold with Stannous. This causes me to question if the residue in the filter is Gold. Am I still on track or did I somehow take a detour? Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated. 003.jpg004.jpg
 
Nopyrite, two observations...
1. You say that you dropped the gold with SMB but you never mentioned that (or how) you dissolved it in the first place.
2. 20 grams of gold plated e-scrap is not much and would probably be hard to see even if it drops in your jar.

/Göran
 
Check to make sure you are using bisulfite and not bisulfate.

What did the stannous test show before adding SMB?

Steve
 
If the material was worth $60/pound (which may be overly optimistic), you would only get .068 grams of gold (a sphere about 1/32" in dia., if my math is right) from 20 grams of scrap. That tiny amount can easily get lost in the shuffle. Better start thinking in working pounds of scrap.
 
g_axelsson, I forgot to mention that I had used the A/P method to dissolve.

Lazersteve, I purchased the SMB online a few months ago. The package is not labeled. If what I have is the wrong stuff, this would explain much of the travails I have been dealing with since trying to learn how to do refining on a small scale. I have just about decided that this is one activity that I cannot master. I have studied and read and tried to follow instructions to a fault, but mostly have wound up making only messes.

goldsilverpro, you are right. I have been trying to get the process right and playing around with a little e-scarp that was laying around. I am retired here in Florida and this looked like something fun to do, but I think I should move on to something else. (besides, maybe my wife will stop yelling at me now about all the tiny holes that seem to be appearing in my clothes.)
 
Hi Nopyrite!

Don't be discouraged. I know how you feel. My wife has been complaining about everything from day one! The PC's, the chemicals, my clothes smell like clorox, blah, blah, blah... :roll:
I wasn't getting much gold either which added to the blahs, so I started buying scrap that has more gold. So yesterday, when she saw the cash I got for selling scrap karat I refined, she opened up I sold me her scrap karat & my daughter too! The complining, & skeptisism finally stop. :mrgreen: I got a green lite now. I guess I just had to show them "the green $$$".
So, I suggest, get some material that contains more gold & give it another shot brother! :lol: Don't give up your "dream"!

Philddreamer
 
philddreamer - thanks for the words of encouragement. As I still have some Gold filled watch bands and a couple lb of Gold board fingers laying around, perhaps I will give it another go. I am going to toss out the batch of SMB though as I do not trust it. I may try some copperas instead if I can find it. Holy crap, you are the man. You got your wife to turn over her Gold AND stop yelling at you. That is amazing and the only thing keeping you from Superstar status is the statement that your wife also gave you your daughter. WARNING! Be on the alert. This may have been a clever trick perpetrated by your wife in order to get her hands on your treasure. Kids, especially Girls are not much good for anything and the longer they hang around, the less Gold one seems to have.
 
No, my wife didn't give me my daughter, my daughter also sold me her gold. :lol:
I just finished refining, & it weighed 22.5gm + another 9.6gm from yesterday
puts me in the 3.55oz marker on my way to 5 oz. :mrgreen:

philddreamer
 
philddreamer, that is even better than I thought. You must have the gift of persuasion. I have to constantly hide my Gold to keep my wife from pilfering it. You on the other hand are able to talk your WIFE and DAUGHTER into giving you their GOLD. Have you ever thought about going into politics?
 
Regarding the multiple uses of the cell. Normally how much quantity of material would 2lt of sulphuric acid be able to handle before it requires discarding? And what is the proof in the naked eye to see if it is neutralised completely?
 
GrailSeeker said:
Regarding the multiple uses of the cell. Normally how much quantity of material would 2lt of sulphuric acid be able to handle before it requires discarding? And what is the proof in the naked eye to see if it is neutralised completely?
Click to expand...

Sulfuric acid from the gold stripping cell is reusable so it won't be discarded aside from losses from spills and such.

Steve
 
Given that the item to be stripped contains only metals and no synthetic or pcb chunks and cover the cell when not in use, right?
 
Steve has said that concentrated Sulphuric Acid has a great affinity for water and will take it out of the air so covering it when not in use is a must.

That brings up a question - I have covered mine only with a glass lid and it's been that way for roughly a year since my last use. Should I siphon off the clear acid from the top of my cell and heat it to drive off the water that has migrated into it before using it again?
 
Nopyrite said:
philddreamer - thanks for the words of encouragement. As I still have some Gold filled watch bands and a couple lb of Gold board fingers laying around, perhaps I will give it another go. I am going to toss out the batch of SMB though as I do not trust it. I may try some copperas instead if I can find it. Holy crap, you are the man. You got your wife to turn over her Gold AND stop yelling at you. That is amazing and the only thing keeping you from Superstar status is the statement that your wife also gave you your daughter. WARNING! Be on the alert. This may have been a clever trick perpetrated by your wife in order to get her hands on your treasure. Kids, especially Girls are not much good for anything and the longer they hang around, the less Gold one seems to have.
Click to expand...

If you have a couple pounds of gold fingers lying around I would process those. If you are following all directions to a tee you will surely get a few grams out of them. I recently processed 3 pounds of fingers and got 7.4 grams of the good stuff. Best of all this is a process where both recovery and refining can be completed 100% without the use of nitric acid. Be warned however... Once you get your first bit of gold to drop you will be hooked. This is your only chance to turn back :lol:
 
jimmyreece said:
this may be a stupid question but can i use the cell for silver,rhodium, and platinum plated items also ?
Click to expand...

You only need to ask your question once. On the other thread where you asked this exact same question, I answered: Ag - yes, Pt - maybe, Rh - no.
 
bklopsy said:
Steve
I have completed a little over 20 pounds of plated material and have expired the copper meshes purchased from you. My question is, is there a stainless steel mesh? I have taken a real interest in recovery using the cell method but copper contamination and life span of copper mesh are an issue
Brooks
Click to expand...
I was wondering the same thing. I have come to acquire a distaste for Cu. A stainless steel mesh would be nice. Either way, I'm having a hard time trying to find copper OR stainless steel type mesh. Where can you get this stuff? Other than online? Lowes? Home Depot? Walmart?
 

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