# All disks contain platinum



## Claudie (Oct 30, 2011)

"Information storage requirements continue to expand at rapid rates, fuelled by the growing use of computers for video and audio applications. Today, all hard disks contain platinum in their magnetic layers, compared with around 50 per cent in 1997. The proportion of platinum in the magnetic alloy has been increasing steadily over time, from less than 10 per cent five years ago to over 35 per cent, on average, today." 
Source: http://www.platinum.matthey.com/applications/industrial-applications/hard-disks/


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## jimdoc (Oct 30, 2011)

That magnetic layer is very thin. Don't get your hopes up.

Jim


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## Claudie (Oct 30, 2011)

I don't get my hopes up on disk platters. Most of mine get shredded and go in the Aluminum pile. :| 
I may start keeping the newer ones back for some experimenting later. I know the question of how much or is there any Platinum in HDD platters comes along quite frequently. This should answer that question.


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## eeTHr (Oct 30, 2011)

The "35%" made my eyes pop, until I realized that it's 35% _*of the magnetic layer.*_ So, I guess the question would be, how thick is the magnetic layer? 8)


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## patnor1011 (Oct 30, 2011)

Thinner than any hope of economic recovery (or recovery of global economies :twisted: )


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## Harold_V (Oct 30, 2011)

eeTHr said:


> The "35%" made my eyes pop, until I realized that it's 35% _*of the magnetic layer.*_ So, I guess the question would be, how thick is the magnetic layer? 8)


Heh!
What's the cost of a huge hard drive now---less than $100? Maybe less than $75? And that includes manufacturing costs, along with profits by resellers?

Do the math. 

It could well be the platinum content is so low it won't be detected by conventional (chemical) testing methods. 

I fully expect the aluminum has greater value than any precious metals that may be included. 

Harold


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## niteliteone (Oct 30, 2011)

eeTHr said:


> The "35%" made my eyes pop, until I realized that it's 35% _*of the magnetic layer.*_ So, I guess the question would be, how thick is the magnetic layer? 8)



If I remember correctly, I read a few months ago is was around 3 micron per side on the newer hard drives (2010 up) I will try to find it and if wrong I will correct this.
Tom C.

edit; found this at wiki
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_much_platinum_in_a_hard_drive


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## samuel-a (Oct 30, 2011)

Thanks for the link.


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## Claudie (Oct 30, 2011)

Harold_V said:


> eeTHr said:
> 
> 
> > The "35%" made my eyes pop, until I realized that it's 35% _*of the magnetic layer.*_ So, I guess the question would be, how thick is the magnetic layer? 8)
> ...



Exactly!
Just like I tell people who think a computer is loaded with Gold. A new computer costs around $400, Gold is around $1700+ an ounce, so how much Gold do you think is in there again? 
I agree that the value is more with the Aluminum they contain, unless we figure in E-bay prices: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Lot-6-Lbs-Disk-platters-Platinum-Gold-recovery-approx-200-platters-/260880454902?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_2&hash=item3cbdafd4f6


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## lazersteve (Nov 12, 2011)

This exact quote was already posted and discussed more than a year ago.

I'll dig up the link and add it.

Steve


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## lazersteve (Nov 12, 2011)

Here's the oldest mention of the quote I found back in 2007:

35 platter search

It just goes to show how many things are discussed repeatedly here on the forum. I found several other references to this same article in previous years on the forum. It also demostrates the value of knowing how to search the forum.

Steve


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## Photobacterium (Dec 18, 2011)

Harold_V said:


> It could well be the platinum content is so low it won't be detected by conventional (chemical) testing methods.
> 
> I fully expect the aluminum has greater value than any precious metals that may be included.
> 
> Harold



in the days of the Homebrew Computer Club, when it met at Sheridan Auditorium on the Stanford Med School campus, there was this enterprising guy who ran a business named *Crashed Platter Products.*

he recovered disks from the hard drives of the day - those platters were rather large ... 8", 14" ... and he made, among other things, Clocks. as in, Time-pieces.

so, in between technical presentations by guys like Lee Felsenstein, whose company may have been called Processor Technology, and the occasional "Steve Jobs sighting", here was this rather gregarious, likeable, motivated African American guy selling Clocks - from Hard Disk Platters.

i never saw his sales numbers but it sure was entertaining.


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## btdos (Jan 13, 2012)

just to let u guys know I have been refining hard drive platters and the yeild is this per 36 grams of foil there is 3,5 grams of platinum in the disk so for ever 100 disk your getting about 10.5 grams which makes it about 10 percent of a disk there and easy way to get it out. With chem to get it out. It takes about three hours after cleaning all them hard drives muratic acid make for sure you got a lot of scratch in ur disk on both side the acid burns out the aluminum out of the mid then yu ake the small peices put them in a blender with water blend them the a smaller peices them use sub zero ura and storm to extract the other metals that on the disk then you got pure platinum thanks for reading. Btdos


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## Anonymous (Jan 13, 2012)

btdos said:


> the yeild is this per 36 grams of foil there is 3,5 grams of platinum in the disk so for ever 100 disk your getting about 10.5 grams which makes it about 10 percent of a disk


It takes over 100 disks just to get 36 grams of foils.So you math is already wrong from the start.


btdos said:


> them use sub zero ura and storm to extract the other metals that on the disk then you got pure platinum


This should explain everything that is wrong here.


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## jimdoc (Jan 13, 2012)

mic said:


> btdos said:
> 
> 
> > them use sub zero ura and storm to extract the other metals that on the disk then you got pure platinum
> ...



I didn't believe the numbers, and once I saw subzero I was Shor the facts were twisted. 

Jim


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## kuma (Jan 13, 2012)

jimdoc said:


> I didn't believe the numbers, and once I saw subzero I was Shor the facts were twisted.



:lol:


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## lazersteve (Jan 13, 2012)

Maybe he's selling some platters and wanted to share his yields with us before we buy?

Some platters do have trace amounts of Pt in them, no where near what he stated however. Search the forum for 'platter platinum' for more facts (link provided below).

Platter Platinum Search Results
Steve


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## kelly (Jan 14, 2012)

Jeez btdos, I've got 100 hard drive platters I will let you have for the incredibly low price of $200, plus shipping of course.
K


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## Claudie (Jan 15, 2012)

btdos said:


> just to let u guys know I have been refining hard drive platters and the yeild is this per 36 grams of foil there is 3,5 grams of platinum in the disk so for ever 100 disk your getting about 10.5 grams which makes it about 10 percent of a disk there and easy way to get it out. With chem to get it out. It takes about three hours after cleaning all them hard drives muratic acid make for sure you got a lot of scratch in ur disk on both side the acid burns out the aluminum out of the mid then yu ake the small peices put them in a blender with water blend them the a smaller peices them use sub zero ura and storm to extract the other metals that on the disk then you got pure platinum thanks for reading. Btdos



I have a good supply of the hard drive disk platters. I am will to sell them to you. What would be your offer per pound, ten pounds, or 100 pound lots?


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## Tinker Terry (May 21, 2013)

btdos said:


> just to let u guys know I have been refining hard drive platters and the yeild is this per 36 grams of foil there is 3,5 grams of platinum in the disk so for ever 100 disk your getting about 10.5 grams which makes it about 10 percent of a disk there and easy way to get it out. With chem to get it out. It takes about three hours after cleaning all them hard drives muratic acid make for sure you got a lot of scratch in ur disk on both side the acid burns out the aluminum out of the mid then yu ake the small peices put them in a blender with water blend them the a smaller peices them use sub zero ura and storm to extract the other metals that on the disk then you got pure platinum thanks for reading. Btdos


Interesti ng. I am experimenting with electolysis and recently used a platter from the hard drive out of a 286 i scrapped as an electrode. strips the coating off real quick in the right circumstances.


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## butcher (May 21, 2013)

sounds like you may end up with a gooey mess in that cell.


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## Marcel (May 21, 2013)

Why dont you just use a lathe and take a thin layer off every platter?
That will minimize chemical recovery at least.
I sold mine a few months ago on ebay, but I dont have many platters anyway. But if someone tries this out, maybe he can report back on the yields etc...


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