# charmin plug construction (materials)



## variable (Dec 3, 2012)

Hi guys...
I have a question about charmin plug with fiberglass...hope it doesn't sound silly. I have a sulfuric cell that I had sitting in my closet with gold for 2 months maybe (busy..busy) wanna get it out & recycle sulfuric. Where do you guys source it...and should I get it specific density of fibers. I mean you want it to catch the gold & not clog up right? Not sure I want to siphon sulfuric from the top. Thanks for any input.

Would something like that be ok:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1-6-oz-fiberglass-cloth-1-yard-x-44-1-1-2-ounce-/320835785706?pt=US_Character_Radio_Control_Toys&hash=item4ab34d93ea

-Mike


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## philddreamer (Dec 3, 2012)

I like to use fiber glass insulation; I have a couple of funnels. When one cloggs up, I place it on top of another flask and add a bit of HCl/Cl and it dissolves the gold sediment and is ready for some more filtering!
Take care and be safe!
Phil


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## NobleMetalWorks (Dec 3, 2012)

Use fiberglass...

This is the type I use:







In some cases you can actually use the fiberglass in a colander. When I am filtering anything where I am going to dissolve the filtered material in AR, I use fiberglass in a colander, then put it in AR, all the Au is dissolved and leaves behind the fiberglass. Works great for foils. I also use it to filter sulfuric acid that has Au in it from using a sulfuric cell to de-plate gold plated items. It filters really fast, and captures most of the Au without having to use a Buchner Filter. 

If you are going to make a charmin plug, you can take a little of the fiberglass and twist it until it's long, then pull it through the funnel. I pull more through so that I have a ball of it coming out of the bottom of the funnel. As the fiberglass plug becomes saturated with your filtered solution it collects solution on the end that is hanging out of the funnel, this helps draw solution through the charmin plug. If you don't have it sticking out of the bottom, it takes longer to filter. Try it both ways you will see what I am talking about.

Scott


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## philddreamer (Dec 3, 2012)

Check out the video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YGGoN6UnT4
Phil


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## variable (Jan 1, 2013)

I figured have to start 2013 right. Keep in mind it's 1/01/13 2:18 a.m. & it's possible that I was not sober earlier... :shock: 

Decided to filter my sulfuric cell for the first time & never done it before (God knows it was sitting in my closet a few months). 

Used Charmin plug in the funnel & manual vacuum pump.

I did try to be smart boy and used the syringe, but it was getting stuck at times (probably acid started attacking cheap plastic). This caused things to be sloppy. Therefore, I just poured the sulfuric cell in the funnel. I know II was loosing gold here and there since I was washing lead cathode after each use and poured some of that in the toilet. Will try to run that through filter next time. 

Happy New Year!


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## steyr223 (Jan 6, 2013)

Hello
I can add from same setup experience, did you not get
A little plastic round bottle with the vacuum pump
It is about 4" tall and 2" round with a top that has
An inlet and outlet for the hose attachment's
to be placed between your flask and pump

Use it ore make one. I payed $35.00 for mine and
Its already broke because of acids getting in it

Hey Scott do you still dilute 2 to 3 times your slims
with water before filtring
Or will the fiberglass allow concentrated sulfuric to
be filtered
Thanks Steyr223 rob


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## philddreamer (Jan 6, 2013)

Hi Rob!
The video above is of concentrated sulphuric been vacuum filtered. That is a fiber glass insulation plug! No problems! When it plugs with gold sediment, I just set it aside on top of another flask, then I pour a bit of HCl/Cl and the sediment dissolves. The plug is ready to then be re-used.
Phil


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## variable (Jan 6, 2013)

No...I didn't get plastic round bottle should I? :| 
Worked at least one time. No dilution was done. However, not sure my plug was too effective. As per video above ... the acid which was filtered was more clear and kind of greenish? My sulfuric still had same color about same color after filtering. It does seem to catch the particles though & I had 400 mmHg vacuum on average. I'm thinking it's tin or something. What happened to your pump? Just be careful and empty the acid before too full or acid splashing around still gets to it?


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## steyr223 (Jan 8, 2013)

Thanks Phil
I don't have to ruin my sulfuric now :lol: 

Yes I guess it depends on your setup
mine always seemed to suck in a little from
The drops passing the hose, no matter if the
Hose was all the way in or out

My pump froze and me being me i grabbed it
To pull the trigger weather it wanted me to or
not. It snapped inside somewhere

Probably the best thing would be to clean and
Dry it after use
Thanks Steyr223 rob


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## Geo (Jan 8, 2013)

the sulfuric can be recycled even if it is very contaminated. the green acid in the video can be diluted with water and then condensed by evaporating. like Harold said, diluted sulfuric and concentrated sulfuric is like two totally different acids. when you dilute the contaminated acid, something in the composition of the mix occurs. i dont understand why it does it but when you evaporate the water out to the highest concentration you can get before you start to lose acid, the contaminants will precipitate out on its own leaving the acid a rich honey colored thick liquid. even if you start out with drain cleaner it works the same way. after evaporating, the liquid is very clear and all the metal salts will be crystals on the bottom of the container.


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## steyr223 (Jan 9, 2013)

He he Geo you said drain cleaner refering to evaporation :shock: 
This is going to be one of those times where I
say. ""How is that even possible that I missed
That"
I have been using my drain cleaner directly out
of the bottle, for some reason I thought this to
be close to maximum concentration.
Thanks Steyr223 rob


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## Barren Realms 007 (Jan 9, 2013)

steyr223 said:


> He he Geo you said drain cleaner refering to evaporation :shock:
> This is going to be one of those times where I
> say. ""How is that even possible that I missed
> That"
> ...



When you get the correct type of drain cleaner it is concentrated. But during deplating, filtering and the rest of it use it absorbs water. After you process you evaporate the acid back to concentration for reuse.


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## Geo (Jan 9, 2013)

rob, i was talking about starting the cell with drain cleaner and then diluting and evaporating to get rid of contamination. im sorry about the way i typed it out.sometimes what i want to say comes out as something else.

if you use drain opener in your stripping cell, no matter what color it is out of the bottle. if you do what i said above, it will end being clear,thick and yellowish.


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## steyr223 (Jan 9, 2013)

Got. It guys thanks

I was wondering about all the water that was getting in my cell
From spraying the chips off. Into the sulfuric acid
:shock: 
Ah ha made you go "WHAT" just kidding 
:lol:


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## gold1 (Dec 6, 2013)

Hello, I had a quick question about the charmin plug method for filtering the gold from sulfuric acid after reverse elecroplating has occurred. After filtering the concentrated sulfuric acid containing the gold, How do I recover the gold from the fiberglass?


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## Anonymous (Dec 6, 2013)

I think that post 2 covers that one Sir.


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## FrugalRefiner (Dec 6, 2013)

If you're not using a couple of funnels as Phil describes, you can just push the fiberglass plug back out of the funnel into a suitable container and add the solvent of your choice. Decant the gold solution and rinse the fiberglass well, adding the rinses to your gold solution. Then precipitate.

Dave


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## Anonymous (Dec 6, 2013)

Thanks Dave I should have thought of that situation.


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