# Precious metal containing Capacitors, Transistors, Eproms



## skyline27 (Nov 16, 2007)

Does anyone have pictures of capacitors eproms transistors etc. that are known to contain precious metals? How can we seperate the wheat from the chaff?


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## lazersteve (Nov 16, 2007)

Skyline,

Components vary in their construction considerably. For this reason there is not a definite list of which components will yield PMs. 

I can tell you that Monolithic Capacitors made before 1997 typically contain Palladium and some even have Platinum and Gold. Testing is the best way to determine which are good and which are not.

Flatpaks generally contain small amounts of gold in the interconnecting wires.

With components it is a trade off between yields and labor. 

How bad do you want to work for a tiny bit of PM? 

Do you have enough scrap to warrant processing? 

These are the real questions behind the yield information you seek.

You can find photos of monolithic capacitors and flatpaks by searching the forum for these terms.

My new PGM DVD will demonstrate the testing and extraction of PGMs from monolithic capacitors.

Steve


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## Joe (Nov 16, 2007)

Hey Skyline, I am putting up pictures of eproms becasue they are easily overlooked and I can't recall seeing any pictures of them on the forum. The little I know about eproms is that store memory. The memory is erased when exposed to light. Eproms have a transparent window that is usually covered with a sticky label. If you come across a board with a label on a chip, peel the label. The eproms I have seen contain gold. The amount is not a lot but definately worth the effort to collect.


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## lazersteve (Nov 16, 2007)

Joe,

There are many types of 'eproms'. The variety you are speaking of with the quartz window are called EPROMs (Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory). These are older and not commonly manufactured any more. The window allows the devices to be erased with UV light.

The newer variety are called EEPROMs (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory) which do not have a window. They can be erased with electrical signals instead of light. You'll find these type on just about any Pentium or newer motherboard.

PROMS (Programmable Read Only Memory) are programmable a single time and cannot be erased as the other types. They do not have a window either.

As a general rule of thumb, the older devices have a better chance of containing gold and or PGMs. I personally have no accurate yield data on this specific type of scrap. Some of the windowed ones obivously contain gold as you have pointed out. Looking thru the window for gold colored metal is a quick and easy check for these types.

Steve


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## joem (Oct 3, 2010)

does anyone have pictures of EEPROMS, and PROMS?
I have a lot of old boards given to me with a lot eproms and other "chips"
I want to identify


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## glorycloud (Oct 3, 2010)

Here is a nice one with gold caps AND legs! 8)


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## Ocean (Oct 13, 2010)

I have not found any of those gold ones, only the tin legged ones.


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## glondor (Jan 7, 2011)

Did you find any P.M.'s in the tin legged ones Ocean?


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## Ocean (Jan 7, 2011)

I have not broken any aprt yet, but I did find one gold one!


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## glorycloud (Jan 7, 2011)

That's a pretty chip amigo. Worth more to a collector that 
what the gold content might be. 8)

The AMD chip that I show in this thread I sold many for $8 each.


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## Ocean (Jan 7, 2011)

Thanks GC. 8) 

Where's the best place to sell it?

On Ebay or a collector's website?

Thanks again.


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## glorycloud (Jan 7, 2011)

Collectors websites as there are normally no fees other than
a paypal fee perhaps.


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## Ocean (Jan 7, 2011)

Ok, thanks.

I think I saw some posted somewhere in the forum.

I'll search for them when I decide to sell.


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## glorycloud (Jan 7, 2011)

Here's an ebay auction for a TRW chip: 8) 

http://cgi.ebay.com/1-Rare-Vintage-TRW-IC-Chip-CPU-Processor-scrap-gold-/260715384877?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3cb3d9102d


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## glondor (Jan 7, 2011)

Here are the few I have. Little gold bugs.


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## texan (Jan 8, 2011)

I have to admit I have gone over to the "dark side" and started collecting/saving odd ball chips. Early military and tel comm stuff. I plan on making some sort of wall display when I get enough. What is fun is taking a POS looking chip on the outside, opening it up to see what is on the inside...some get close to being works of art in miniature.

Texan


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## jimdoc (Jan 8, 2011)

Some do have art inside;

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chip_art

http://smithsonianchips.si.edu/chipfun/graff.htm

http://micro.magnet.fsu.edu/creatures/


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## DarkspARCS (Jan 8, 2011)

Hey!... Nice looking chips!

I got a ? on a removeable square chip, which usually is found on the Hard Drive boards. Do they possess Pm/ pgm?


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