# Could CaCO3 and normal glass have any practical use in Gold/silver/palladium/platinum recovery processes?



## Chirou (Dec 8, 2021)

Hello, i used to recover gold and silver from some electronics, had around 2year break due to really small quantities of electronics available in my region, now i moved elsewhere for studies and while doing some of my laboratories at chemistry classes i started thinking could maybe those easily available substances have any uses in the processes? CaCO3 is basically for example eggshells used as calcium suplement etc so they are really widely available maybe they could be used somehow in dropping out something from waste solutions or something? 
What i mean with glass is that i lately heard that glass pieces can be used instead of borax (got over 1kg borax that will probably last for lifetime for me but still idea seems interesting) and i saw it beeing used in some metal melting but not precious metals. If you guys got any ideas about those 2 or maybe some other substances please share your thoughts ^^


My recovery goes really slowly cause gaining materials take ages like it's hard to make ppl collect for example diabetes test strips for you cause they treat you like insane maniac once you explain that you want to try recover palladium from them. So i got a lot of time to think about some other stuff for fun reactions XD

Also i got like 3kg of mix of carbon+MnO2+Mn2O3 mix from taking apart batteries maybe this could have some uses as well in either PM recovery or maybe in some other fun reactions etc. ^^

Thank you for your attention


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## kurtak (Dec 8, 2021)

They could both be used as flux ingredients (substitutes for silica & lime) however they would need to be ground to a "fine" powder in order to mix properly with a smelting charge & preform their intended fluxing properties

The CaCO3 would need to be ground very fine (powder)

The glass (lime glass) can be "somewhat" more course

Kurt


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## orvi (Dec 8, 2021)

glass instead of borax would produce thick and viscous slag. usually you want some "thinner" to liqify the flux, so it could mix well by means of convection in the crucible. poor liqidity means poor mixing. metal beads could be possibly entrapped in the slag. but for some flux recipees, silica sand is used, and for this, glass could be some sort of substitute... but i will be careful with this 

from battery carbon/MnO2, you could make chlorine gas by adding HCl to it, but this is a very messy way to do this, mixture will often froth badly because of other chemicals present. chlorine is used in precious metal refining a lot, because of low cost and pretty much not adding volume to the solution. 
but it is very nasty stuff, few whiffs could kill you. no jokes.
without proper safety gear and fume hood, dont attempt to do it.


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## Chirou (Dec 9, 2021)

Thank you very much ^^ on the other hand only thing i found for CaCO3 is well what my grandma told me but this is more hmmm targeted at one that is contained in eggshells, that they used to boil them ground them into fine powder and add to soups and other food as calcium substitute especially for growing animals and growing children, thats outside of scope of the precious metals recovery but i think it's also interesting XD Also can be used as some fertilizer. But thats actually fun the more ppl join the discussion the more interesting things you get to know about even some common items ^^


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## Chirou (Jan 8, 2022)

I accidentaly got a Way to get KOH from batteries while recoveribg zinc for reactions, so maybe this might have some use too XD i mean othar than fun reactions, making batteries, doubt it'll be useful for me to use with pm recovery but maybe with neutralhzibgg waste solution later or something hmm
Actually i remember ed that i Also produces some potasium zincate this Way but i should be able to get zinc back by electrolisis


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## goldshark (Jan 8, 2022)

Seems like this forum is like a bad acid. trip,?


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## Yggdrasil (Jan 8, 2022)

Can you please enlighten us?
Do you understand something we don't or is it the other way around?
Your statement do not make sense in this context.


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## goldshark (Jan 9, 2022)

Yes, the language barrier/ translation is not in the context I am used to reading. Sorry about the comment, I didn't know you are from a foreign land.


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## Yggdrasil (Jan 9, 2022)

goldshark said:


> Yes, the language barrier/ translation is not in the context I am used to reading. Sorry about the comment, I didn't know you are from a foreign land.


Well, I have no problem understanding your words, but I can't see what in this forum that would compare to bad psychedelic drug trip.

So in that context I understand what you say , but not what you are trying to say.

When regarding to the post you were most likely trying to comment, spelling and grammar will not tell you who is of English speaking background or not. 
Quite often the native English speakers don't have correct grammar or spelling.

If you are replying to a specific post, I'd recommend selecting reply under that post. If not it is considered a general comment not a specific reply.

And finally, this is not a national but rather an international forum, well it used to be at last. 
So per definition no one are foreigners here, but English is the "Langua Franka" and all are recommended to post in English.

For the best of the forum and to increase the probability of a positive response.


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## goldshark (Jan 10, 2022)

You are 100% correct. I should have asked what neutralhzibgg was. The rest of your posts are very clear. Please accept my apology.


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## butcher (Jan 10, 2022)

Thats funny


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## Yggdrasil (Jan 10, 2022)

goldshark said:


> You are 100% correct. I should have asked what neutralhzibgg was. The rest of your posts are very clear. Please accept my apology.


As I told you, its best to click reply to the post you intend to answer to.
I get a feeling it is addressed to me, I may be wrong since I believe I did not write that particular word.
Even though I easily could have.
My telephone screen is broken so there is quite a lot of typing errors.
That is where the "edit" function come in handy.


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## butcher (Jan 10, 2022)

​Yggdrasil,
Your English is better than mine, and many other American members, my excuse, I was born American not English, so I learned the American language. While English is not completely foreign to most Americans, A British Englishman might think so.

I admire your ability to speak or even more your ability to write in a foreign language.

I also admire your helping and sharing what you have learned in the field of recovery and refining of precious metals, I find your post helpful and educational, and just your general helping your neighbors around the world.

I too was wondering what neutralhzibgg waste was, I just assumed is it neutralized hazardous egg waste from toxic batteries.


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## Yggdrasil (Jan 10, 2022)

Thanks a lot, Butcher I'm honored to get such prize.
I do my best and try to be better every day.
My grandfather had a saying I took to heart. Knowledge is easy to carry, he also said nothing learned is ever waisted.
Sincerely Per-Ove


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## Alondro (Jan 26, 2022)

Chirou said:


> Thank you very much ^^ on the other hand only thing i found for CaCO3 is well what my grandma told me but this is more hmmm targeted at one that is contained in eggshells, that they used to boil them ground them into fine powder and add to soups and other food as calcium substitute especially for growing animals and growing children, thats outside of scope of the precious metals recovery but i think it's also interesting XD Also can be used as some fertilizer. But thats actually fun the more ppl join the discussion the more interesting things you get to know about even some common items ^^


Eggshells also contain a significant amount of calcium phosphate (as do animal bones), and phosphate can bind up some metals quite strongly. Seashells, on the other hand, are almost entirely calcium carbonate, with a small amount of magnesium carbonate. Just soak them in water a few times to remove the sea salt. Clam shells are the best for it, since they're thick and have few crevices for sand and other contaminants to get trapped in.

You can also burn seashells in a hot wood flame and get Calcium oxide, which is a fairly strong base. Good for neutralizing waste acid from electronics recovery and dropping most transition metal hydroxides (most of the hydroxides are very insoluble). Helps 'un-metal' the solutions. I've been saving up the hydroxides. One wash and resettle removes the hygroscopic (water-absorbing) calcium chloride and leaves metal hydroxide goo, which dries into a fine powder. Once I have enough, I'll roast it into pure metal oxides, which can be sold as a high-grade 'ore' which will be rich with metals a backyard refiner can't easily recover: cobalt, nickel, manganese, vanadium, rare earths, lead, tin and other trace metals. 

This is really useful for anyone who recycles a lot of electronics. They'll end up with kilograms of this powder after a while, and some refineries will give a good price for it. They'll do a mass spec to see the bulk composition, then base the price on the result.

Careful with the powder. It's super-fine heavy metal dust, and therefore toxic. Do not breath it in and do not mistake it for baby powder! :O


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