# Banana sockets from 70th to 80th



## solar_plasma (Feb 5, 2015)

I found gold plating in the inside of some kg of banana sockets (each weighs 3,5g) in my collection. Since they are old, only in the inside plated and opened the plating looks heavy, a dark kind of golden color, I wonder, if this might be 30 microinches or even more.

Next question will be, how to process. Too much base metal to dissolve, too much work to prepare them for sulfuric cell. They are very slightly magnetic and very soft. Seems to be a Ni-alloy.

I guess, there is no easy answer to this, other then to sell them? I think, I calculated 0,5-1g gold per kg at medium plating. Open for discussion.


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## solar_plasma (Feb 5, 2015)

Maybe drill them to get some filings? Or deplate them one by one with glass wool/sulfuric/electrode?


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## silversaddle1 (Feb 5, 2015)

Are these used in high-end audio equipment? If so they may be worth more for that purpose then scrap.


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## solar_plasma (Feb 5, 2015)

Yes, they came with two big boxes of all kinds of electronic parts from a former service shop for audio equipment. A lot of it might even be from the 60th.

I am aware of, they are virtually worth more than the gold, but on the other side I believe it will be hard to find enough audio enthusiasts, who would buy those. So, in the end, they are just worth, what people would give.


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## MarcoP (Feb 5, 2015)

Banana sockets have a good market since those have multiple applications. I would try to put the entire lot for sale for a month, buy now price, and see how it goes.


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## solar_plasma (Feb 6, 2015)

Worth to try.

I have reviewed my calculation on the whole lot. There are two other kinds of sockets, too, that have plastic isolation. All in all 7-8kg. At 30 microinch plating, it would be 2.78g, maybe 3g gold.

Leaches like iodine or thiosulfate come to mind, but I think, noone has come up with something that makes anything easier on this type of scrap so far.

Passivation by modified AR comes to mind, too. But it is only described and tried on stainless steel.

Has anyone an idea, how thick this plating might be? Can it be much more than 30 microinches?


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## MarcoP (Feb 6, 2015)

solar_plasma said:


> Passivation by modified AR comes to mind, too. But it is only described and tried on stainless steel.


If I'm not mistaken it did work on aluminum too.


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## necromancer (Feb 6, 2015)

don't process them, you will get a gram of gold for 200 pounds of this type of material.

"ebay" for reuse


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## goldsilverpro (Feb 6, 2015)

necromancer said:


> don't process them, you will get a gram of gold for 200 pounds of this type of material.
> 
> "ebay" for reuse



I totally agree. Pawn them off on someone else.


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## solar_plasma (Feb 7, 2015)

Not exactly someone having the fever wants to hear, but you are ofcourse (most likely  ) right. Thank you, friends. 

...man, this plating looks...soooo good :!: :mrgreen: Just for couriousity, how were the made? Is it most likely electroplated, electroless or sputtered?


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## alb320 (Feb 24, 2015)

Dear solar,
this is my job, if you want you could send me a little sample (around 500 gr) and I can say you how much gold they contain.


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