# Can Anyone Help Me....?



## fajar (Mar 15, 2011)

I am a beginner in refinery.... i mean really very- very beginner (less of any chemical backround knowledge)....

This is my short story....
I have a little computer service house (a little shop held by myself) in my home for almost 10 years...
but... Since 4 months ago... few unknown people come to my shop and asking for any scrap (death MB, VGA, RAM, etc)...
:shock: Wooow... they come to my shop rarely.... and always asking for a computer scrap... specially old computer scrap..

:roll: This thing make me so curiuosly.... very-very curiosly...
So, since this 1 months... i tried to search any info about that scrap... that they were looking for from me..
:shock: What a suprise for me..... i've found so many info from the web, that computer scrap contains so many presicious metals (such as gold, silver, etc).... Isn't it...?

So, for almost this 2 weeks... i try to search any info... "how to refining any gold from processor / finger... of course with it's chemical process way" ... and i tried to do it with my self.... but unfortunatelly i was failed for about 4 times experiment... (All experiments refer to any web)... it's make me so confuse...

Firts & Second Experiment :
> Time : Last Week
> Method Use : "Tom's Hardware method" (electrolisys involving H2SO4, Sodium Hypochlorite, SMB)
> Scrap : All is computer pins (ex 40 pin from HDD, CD ROM & Mother Board Pins).
> Result : Failed...
> Sequences : the solution after electrolisys became green color not yellow... and when i put some SMB... nothing happen.. Just any SMB in the bottom of the glass  
> Add : I don't know where sequences that's make me failed

Third & Fourth Experiment :
> Time : Today
> Method Use : Aqua Regia (like in so many video from UTube)
Use 1 : 3 of HNO3 and HCl
> Scrap : Memory Finger, Pentium I Processor with a gold pin and VGA Finger
> Result : Still Failed...  
> Sequences : 1. I put any scrap on a glass jar
2. I make Aqua Regia solution by mix 1 : 3 HNO3 and HCL
3. immediately I pour AR on those scrap...
4. for less than a minute... it became dark brown with a bubble and strong brown fume
5. after approx. 10-15 minutes almost all bubble dissapear..
6. But, the color of solution isn't yellow... it was little yellow with many dark green color
7. Then i filter that solution with paper filter... the color is still like mostly dark green with very little 
yellow 
8. Then, i put some SMB to the filtered solution...
9. Less than a minute the solution became dark brown..... with a bubble...
10. BUt there were nothing gold precipitated on the bottom of the glass jar....  
> Add : I don't know where sequences that's make me failed


*Question :*
1. Can anyone in here Help me, Pleaseee....? To tell a right sequence / right way to refine it... refer to my poor knowledge of chemicals... (step by step... very detail step if necessary)


*Note :*
- I'm verry sorry if my English is not so good, refer to "I still learn everything." 8) 
- I'm very happy if i can learn from any seniors in here... 
- I would like say thanks to goldrefineringforum.com, administrator, and all of the people in here to help me...

Please mail me at : [email protected]
Origin : Indonesia


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## Anonymous (Mar 15, 2011)

fajar said:


> Question :
> 1. Can anyone in here Help me, Pleaseee....? To tell a right sequence / right way to refine it... refer to my poor knowledge of chemicals... (step by step... very detail step if necessary)


Is this a number 2? Or a hybrid part 2/part 5?



Fajar,there is a search feature here,at the top right hand corner of the screen.All of your questions can be answered by using this option.


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## fajar (Mar 15, 2011)

Thank's for your suggestion mic...

> i make aqua regia on section 2 (just mixing 1:3 HNO3 and HCL)... but gold wasn't precipitated by SMB after the aqua-regia reaction....

> Note : as your suggestion from search feature... i found that likely some of articles said that gold won't precipitate because of excess HNO3 on the solution... isn't it Mic ? i'm still confuse about it :mrgreen: 

> Should i neutralized excess of those HNO3 (after aqua-regia step)... or other ways ?
> And what chemicals i can use to neutralized those HNO3 mic...? or any suggestion...

Thanks.


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## Barren Realms 007 (Mar 16, 2011)

fajar said:


> Thank's for your suggestion mic...
> 
> > i make aqua regia on section 2 (just mixing 1:3 HNO3 and HCL)... but gold wasn't precipitated by SMB after the aqua-regia reaction....
> 
> ...



fajar,

You should take some copper plate and stick in your solution and cement all of your precious metals out of your solution and let them settle to the bottom of your container then siphon off your solution.

You need to look into HCL/peroxide procedure to process your material till you are familiar with what you are doing.

Do some more searching and reading here on the forum. And see if you can get a copy of Hoke's book and see if it can be translted for you to read it. It is availble for down load from a couple of the forum members sig line.


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## dtectr (Mar 16, 2011)

Maaf, tetapi adalah "fajar" sebuah alias?

Tidak ada versi dikenal dari Google menerjemahkan, atau Pidgin Bahasa Inggris terdengar seperti ini. Jika saya salah, saya mohon maaf. Jika Anda memahami emoticon, Anda mendapatkan ini.

Jika tidak, fajar, pergi ke Google.com, ketik pertanyaan Anda dalam bahasa ibu Anda, kemudian pilih menerjemahkan ke inggris. Meskipun aku dibesarkan di Amerika Serikat, kadang-kadang saya pikir bahasa Inggris adalah bahasa ke-2 kepada saya.


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## Anonymous (Mar 16, 2011)

If you can not find one,use this.
http://translate.google.com/#id|en|%0D%0A


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## fajar (Mar 16, 2011)

Dear dtectr,
"fajar" is not an alias... it is my true name
the word "fajar" is mean sun in the morning as i borned in the morning :lol: 

I am a newbie in here... i hope can learn everything about chemical & refining...
Yes, i started to like this forum..

Note :
Google Translate didn't translate 100% correctly to Indonesian (reverse)...
So sometimes i do same... (just translate one or few words... not a sentence or a lot of sentences)..
BUt i'm very appreciate that you speak with me in Indonesian dtectr, :lol: 

Thanks.


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## fajar (Mar 17, 2011)

*Learn.... Learn.... and Still Learning.....
Today is my 7th Failed Experiment..... heheh*

6th failed experiment :
1. About 30 Grams of VGA Finger
2. Aqua Regia solution (30 ml HCL with 10 ml HNO3)
3. Gold plated dissolved about 5 minutes in AR (the solution turn yellowish) 
4. Filter the solution into a glass jar to separate residual PCB from finger
5. The solution is still yellowish
6. Add about few Urea the solution is still yellowish
7. Add about 1-2 tsp SMB
8. Solution turn dark brown for a while, i stir that solution
9. The solution became clear in color but there were no any gold precipitate on the bottom of glass jar

7th failed experiment : 
These is my step :
1. About 30 Grams of VGA Finger
2. Aqua Regia solution (30 ml HCL with 10 ml HNO3)
3. Gold plated dissolved about 5 minutes in AR (the solution turn yellowish) 
4. Filter the solution into a glass jar to separate residual PCB from finger
5. The solution is still yellowish
6. Add about few Urea the solution is still yellowish
7. Add about 1-2 tsp SMB
8. Solution turn dark brown for a while, i stir that solution
9. The solution became clear in color but there were no any gold precipitate on the bottom of glass jar
10. I add about 50 ml of quades (H20)... the solution became greenish in color
11. I Add any SMB again.... the solution is still greenish in color without any gold precipitate on it...

 

Is there any solution / suggestion for my problems...???
Please Help Me....
Thanks All.... :lol:


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## 4metals (Mar 17, 2011)

In all of your many failed attempts, the one thing I noticed that you consistently failed to do was to test with stannous chloride to determine if there was gold in solution before you tried to recover it. 

Make sure the gold is in solution (by testing) before you move on. Then come back and tell us the result.


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## dtectr (Mar 17, 2011)

fajar
You provide good documentation of your attempts. That is commendable. However, you are trying to use a bomb to kill a fly. Hope that translates 8) 

Go to lazersteve's website http://www.goldrecovery.us/ and watch the free videos on processing fingers with HCl and 3% H2o2. It takes a little longer, but if you run oxygen through the solution with a fish tank air pump, it will work faster & not require as many additions of H2O2. The advantage is that you do not have to get rid of the nitric acid. This process dissolves the copper beneath the fingers by the production of Copper Chloride II. Once the foils that result are cleaned of residual copper and nickel, you can dissolve them easily with HCl and Clorox Bleach (6% Sodium Hypochlorite). It works the same way that Aqua regia does. It is very clean, relatively safe and it is the only way I process fingers now.

All of your gold is still in solution - the brown cloud is your gold, but the free nitric acid is dissolving before it can precipitate. Be aware though, that, depending on the age and application of the original component, the gold yield for VGA fingers is about 1.5 - 2.5g of gold per 600g of fingers.

If you have some tin, from 95/5 solder (95% tin, 5% either silver or copper) dissolve a 50mm piece in 50 ml of HCl. Heat it uhtil it starts to bubble. Take a drop of solution(s) & place it on a white ceramic or plastic surface. Add a drop of the solution you just made (stannous chloride) and observe closely for a color change.

What is your volume of used Aqua Regia solution? If gold is present, You may be able combine them if the volume is not too great, drop everything with solid pieces of pure copper, and begin the refining process again. Please - wait until you hear from someone here who is expert in the use of Aqua Regia before doing so. I am not. I want you to be safe.

You will also want to begin separating your scrap - pins with pins, fingers with fingers, cpus with cpus - and processing each type separately. 

I agree with mic, who suggests learning & using HCl/H2O2, which is essentially the same type of process as Aqua Regia, except that the gold is not dissolved until you do so after cleaning. The solution can be reused indefinitely, only requiring periodic additions of HCl, H2O2 or at times a little water. This way, very little waste is produced, so there is less of it to dispose of.

Of course, this isn't everything, but it should help to get you started.

good luck!
dtectr


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## fajar (Mar 17, 2011)

*4metals*.. ok thanks.... i noted that..
Hmmm... i'll try to test it.... 
Before, i will first learn how to make that test solution.... :lol: 

*dtectr*... .. thanks a lot for your advice..
I'll try to use that way....
Hmmm.... it's is honorable for me to meet people like all of you in this forum...
Thanks for teaching me All.....

I'll learn......I'll try.... then learn.... then try.... again & again.... :lol: 
Keeeep Spiiiriiiiit..... !

Thanks.


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## Juan Manuel Arcos Frank (Mar 17, 2011)

Fajar:

4metals and dtectr have given you excelent advices,follow them step by step... In my personal opinion 30 gr. of pins from VGA are not enough for processing,you need 500 gr,at least.

If you are using AR then you must add enough urea to set pH at 1,at least.

Hope it helps.

Manuel


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## lazersteve (Mar 17, 2011)

Try this post for your next run:

Learning Acid Peroxide

Steve


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## patnor1011 (Mar 17, 2011)

If you do experiment with 30g of fingers you cant really see gold. You can detect presence by testing with stannous but any powder recovered (Au) will be hard to see. I recently recovered 1g from 210g of close cut fingers. You may have 0.13g there. I used AP method at leas I had my eye on gold all the time


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