# Do these items have PM value?



## Nopyrite (Jun 17, 2010)

Hello to all. I am a bit of a junk-man. I stop at about every garage sale or swap meet I can find. I recently picked these items up, but have no idea of their value. Do these look familiar to anyone out there. There are 8 pieces in the plastic box. I am just a newby and do not have the talent to process anything in the PMG, so I will probably put them on Ebay if they have any PM value.


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## jimdoc (Jun 17, 2010)

I have a few boxes of them I bought on Ebay for $5 each. The boxes come with ten electrodes in each box.The tips weigh very little,I forget the weight. You can make a platinum standard solution with them, to practice if you don't have any other platinum.I keep samples of different items that contain precious metals in my collection.

Jim


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## jimdoc (Jun 17, 2010)

I just weighed a tip that was broken off.It still has a little of the base metal from the collar on it, and it weighs about .05 gram. So you would need about 20 or more to make a gram of platinum.Also I think that the needle tip must have iridium alloyed because pure platinum would be too soft.Then the other end has the gold plated connector.
If I got a bunch more I would process them.I think I tested the wire to see if it was silver, and am pretty sure it wasn't.

Jim


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## Nopyrite (Jun 17, 2010)

jimdoc, thanks for the information. Wow, this forum is great. When I put these items up, I figured they were so odd that nobody would have seen them, wrongo again. I like your idea also about keeping samples of different metals. You mention a Platinum Standard solution. Would this be a type of test solution for Platinum, such as stannous for Gold?


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## jimdoc (Jun 17, 2010)

When I say platinum Standard solution, I mean a known solution that you can test your stannous with, and get familiar with what a positive platinum result will look like.It is good to save a known gold solution for the same reason.I have some silver Grass electrodes also that I got with a giant polygraph machine, they look more like little cups.
Like these;
http://cgi.ebay.com/Grass-Technologies-Recording-Electrodes-F-E5GH-60-10pc-/360251345656?cmd=ViewItem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item53e0a74af8

http://cgi.ebay.com/Grass-Technologies-Recording-Electrodes-F-E5GH-96-10pc-/360251345837?cmd=ViewItem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item53e0a74bad

Precious metal Grass electrodes;
http://www.grasstechnologies.com/products/electrodes/electneedles.html

Jim


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## Richard36 (Jun 17, 2010)

Standard solutions are solutions containing a single precious metal per solution. 
Usually made with a known amount of whatever metal it contains.

In your case, disolve some of your PT scrap in a small volume of Aqua Regia to create a standard solution.
Use this to familiarize yourself with how Stanous Chloride reacts with solutions that contain PT.

The same can be done by dissolving Gold in AR.

I hope that this helps.

Sincerely; Rick. "The Rock Man".


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## Nopyrite (Jun 17, 2010)

Gentlemen, the light bulb just came on. I have a small bottle of known Gold solution. I also have a small bottle of stannous. Before using the stannous on a new sample, I test with the known Gold solution using a cotton swab as Steve models. Do you think the eight Platinum needles would be enough to create a Platinum standard solution?


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## jimdoc (Jun 17, 2010)

It should be. Hoke's book will tell you how to make it.I think you will learn more by experimenting with it,than by selling it on Ebay.Like I said I paid $5 for each of my boxes, so I can't say what yours will sell for, but I think you will learn more than $5 worth by experimenting.
Stannous only lasts about a week, so you have to make a fresh batch every few weeks or as needed.And test it before using.

Jim


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## Oz (Jun 18, 2010)

As a standard, no. As a test to see if your stannous is working properly, perhaps. 

It is always a good idea to keep some gold chloride solution around to be able to check that your stannous is still good and functioning properly.

To be a standard though I would want .999 purity and the grams per liter before I would ever wish to guess at a comparison. Ultimately this becomes a question of whether you are trying to determine the presence of platinum or the concentration of platinum in your solution. It should be noted that if gold or palladium are present it is near impossible to see if platinum is present with stannic chloride.

Jim,
My stannous lasts months with a piece of tin in the bottom even in heat and daylight.


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## lazersteve (Jun 18, 2010)

Oz said:


> Jim,
> My stannous lasts months with a piece of tin in the bottom even in heat and daylight.



Mine last months also. I keep mine in a stoppered tests tube with a little residual tin in the bottom.

I agree light is not a big concern. Heat would only be any issue if the test solution is left uncovered, then evaporation (and oxidation) will be a problem.

Steve


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## Nopyrite (Jun 18, 2010)

Hello, I agree with jimdoc's recommendation to use these pieces as a learning tool as they have little Ebay value. Also, my 2 cents worth on the shelf life of stannous. I made up a small batch about 2 months ago using tin powder acquired from Lazersteve. I just tested it yesterday and it is still good.


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## Nopyrite (Jun 18, 2010)

When digging through junk at garage sales sometimes I work up an appetite. I immediately head to Cracker Barrel for Eggs, Grits and Pancakes. I sometimes wash my hands before eating. With the pancakes, the syrup comes in little glass bottles with plastic screw on tops. These go home with me. They get a good cleaning and seem to be about perfect for storing my Gold solution, Stannous and such. The next time you are out dumpster diving and get hungry, head to the nearest Cracker Barrel. :shock:


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## goldenchild (Jun 18, 2010)

lazersteve said:


> Oz said:
> 
> 
> > Jim,
> ...



Yep. I have a stannous solution that I keep in a glass eyedropper bottle which I've had approaching a year now and it still works fine. It has been exposed to freezing weather, extremely hot weather and direct sunlight. At times it sat in the sun for days at a time. The key is to supersaturate the HCL with tin until it cant dissolve any more and then add an additional piece of tin for good measure. The solution should be crystal clear with a black moss(antimony) settled at the bottom.


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