# platinum contacts!!



## flthai212012 (Jan 14, 2013)

I have about 100000 old contacts that I believe are platinum. I was wondering if anyone here knows? Silver acid test has no effect on the contacts. They are from an old western electric phone system.


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## etack (Jan 14, 2013)

Look up Pd contacts +GSP 

This is the best resource on them. http://goldrefiningforum.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=51&t=164&p=4688&hilit=palladium+telephone#p4688

Eric


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## nickvc (Jan 15, 2013)

Remove a couple from their housing and put them into nitric acid and warm gently, if they start to dissolve they can't be platinum but as Eric said they could well be palladium, test the solution with stannous for confirmation.


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## butcher (Jan 15, 2013)

My opinion only most of that is just base metal, only the really small contact would be valueable, The tiny bar that makes contact on the larger spring arms.


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## nickvc (Jan 15, 2013)

butcher said:


> My opinion only most of that is just base metal, only the really small contact would be valueable, The tiny bar that makes contact on the larger spring arms.




Got to agree, we used to treat kilos of these years ago, the pain is getting them removed which basically means cutting them down as close as possible offthe housing and then selectively dissolving the base metals leaving just the values, can be tricky!


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## g_axelsson (Jan 15, 2013)

I've seen similar contacts a couple of years ago (before joining the forum) and I always thought they were silver. I have it mixed up with all the silver points that I'm going to refine some day. :mrgreen: 
Most of them were tack welded on the base metal. An easy way to remove them is to take an electronic pliers (side snips) ( with a flat cutting edge like this \ /), put the flat side against the flat base metal, grabbing the contact point and then just twist it, pressing the pliers flat to the metal. This often shears off the weld.
It takes a bit of practice but if the material is good it could be faster and cleaner than cutting the base metal off.

Göran


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