# Silver recovery from keyboard mylars



## metalmickey (Apr 4, 2011)

Is everyone aware you can recover silver from keyboard mylars. :!: The silver is printed circuitry on the mylars. I wasn't aware of the silver content until a few months ago when searching youtube I have thrown loads of keyboards away thinking there was no value in them.  On youtube there is a slide show with instructions how to do it and what you need, seems quite simple. :arrow: If you are wondering about yields you should get about 4 ½ grams of relatively pure silver 99% at least from 24-26 mylars. :lol:


----------



## Barren Realms 007 (Apr 4, 2011)

metalmickey said:


> Is everyone aware you can recover silver from keyboard mylars. :!: The silver is printed circuitry on the mylars. I wasn't aware of the silver content until a few months ago when searching youtube I have thrown loads of keyboards away thinking there was no value in them.  On youtube there is a slide show with instructions how to do it and what you need, seems quite simple. :arrow: If you are wondering about yields you should get about 4 ½ grams of relatively pure silver 99% at least from 24-26 mylars. :lol:



Yes it has already been posted on the forum.


----------



## lazersteve (Apr 4, 2011)

You'll find the information on the forum was posted many months, perhaps even years in advance of the video(s) on youtube.

When it comes to refining just about everyone is a copy cat, very little is original.

I tend to research the dates of information that is found around the internet to determine where the true source of the process is. 

Refining techniques are a lot like rumors in high school, the more times they are re-told the less accurate they become. If you want good information on processes go to the source. Something always seems to get lost in translation.

Search the forum for mylars. 

Steve


----------



## bigjohn (Apr 4, 2011)

If this is the video he's talking about http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59Cc02BUWa4. He's a member here.


----------



## lazersteve (Apr 4, 2011)

I haven't watched the video, but I'd be willing to bet the video was posted after the thread on the forum about mylars and that the processes mentioned in the threads below is shown on the video in whole or in part:

Several Keyboard Mylar Posts: Posted July 15, 2007

and 

More on Mylars

Steve


----------



## silversaddle1 (Apr 4, 2011)

Steve, didn't you post your own yeild results on the mylars at one time? I can't remember if it was you or GSP.


----------



## lazersteve (Apr 4, 2011)

It's in the linked threads aboved.

Steve


----------



## jaythenutz (Apr 8, 2011)

hey y'all
I could realy use some advise. I resintly pick up a job to recycle lap top key boards about 10,000 or so its 5 gay lords stuffed full. And costumer says could be twice a month, so like 20,000 WOW. So any how im running the Mylars in nitric and its going fine silver recovered is about 3 grams per 20 key boards + or - do to the various types. and the aluminum is fetching on first recycle run for 5500 boards $370.00. my split with the company is 75% me 25% them. Not bad. So any how does any body know a bulk process for get the silver off. 
thanks//jay
p.s. GOLD REFINING FORUM RULES!!!


----------



## samuel-a (Apr 8, 2011)

If i was you, i would make sure first to separate the ones that are glued together and run them through industrial paper shredder.

Leaching them in 5 gallon buckets with 50/50 nitric, using same solution over and over until exhausted.


----------



## shyknee (Apr 8, 2011)

During a bit of research I did learn that the traces are baked on at 120 degree just below the temp of the mylars.
Methylene Glycol Acetate is used for cleanup.
I don't know if the clean up is used before the mylars are baked to cure the traces,or after.

Shredding it in 1mm to 2mm thin strips or confetti will expose the silver to the nitric.

I guess incineration is not an option .


----------



## jaythenutz (Apr 8, 2011)

thanks guys yeah i was thinking shredding for the glued type (they are really time consuming) and a heater maybe to warm the nitric once and a while probably need to do a lot of stirring/ agitating.. I'm trying to find a shredder cheaply. Quick question does any body know if all shredders cut the same size?


----------



## gold4mike (Apr 8, 2011)

Some cut straight lines, some are cross-cut and leave small pieces about an inch or so in length. Check out Craigslist or Freecycle and you might get a few free. I keep getting them with other office equipment when I pick up computer scrap from various offices. They usually require a minor repair.

I've saved a lot of mylars too and plan to run them through a shallow baking dish whole.


----------



## jaythenutz (Apr 9, 2011)

that cool gold4mike the 11X9 Pyrex baking dish works real good . but im trying to turn around 10,000 bi-monthly. I would have to never sleep and i don't like messing with any chemicals when im even a little sleepy. I have a four man team including my self. I use the aluminum recycle which pays my help. half the keyboard (lap top) weight is aluminum. I try to only have to pay my help for three days a week. and they don't mind. then my partner and i finish with Mylar separation and silver strip. we will see if it can be done in a week. if we can pull it off it should fetch a good profit with aluminum getting 1500 a month and silver at to days market ruffly 4500 to 4800. i will only keep it going as long as silver stays above say 23 per toz. other wise i might as well flip burgers at least then i could eat. lol 
but i still haven't seen any body post about a successful bulk run solution for getting silver off Mylars. Time is of the essence. thanks all //Jay


----------



## anoop.motghare (Feb 21, 2018)

We have done silver extraction from same process but 50/50 solution of Nitric acid and hydrogen peroxide is not working. So we have taken 80/20 ratio of 69% Nitric acid (AR GRADE) and 3% hydrogen peroxide. we have recovered 21 gm pure silver from 480 Mylar. Why it is not working on 50/50 ratio as per various processes given online & what is optimum ratio of nitric acid and hydrogen peroxide to dissolve silver from keyboard Mylars completely. :?:


----------



## silversaddle1 (Feb 21, 2018)

anoop.motghare said:


> We have done silver extraction from same process but 50/50 solution of Nitric acid and hydrogen peroxide is not working. So we have taken 80/20 ratio of 69% Nitric acid (AR GRADE) and 3% hydrogen peroxide. we have recovered 21 gm pure silver from 480 Mylar. Why it is not working on 50/50 ratio as per various processes given online & what is optimum ratio of nitric acid and hydrogen peroxide to dissolve silver from keyboard Mylars completely. :?:



Wait, what? 21 grams of silver from 480 mylars? That's 240 keyboards. At 1 minute each to take apart, that's 4 hours labor + whatever time + chems to recover. Hummmmm, that's a money loser right there.


----------



## g_axelsson (Feb 21, 2018)

silversaddle1 said:


> anoop.motghare said:
> 
> 
> > Wait, what? 21 grams of silver from 480 mylars? That's 240 keyboards. At 1 minute each to take apart, that's 4 hours labor + whatever time + chems to recover. Hummmmm, that's a money loser right there.


Probably not with Indian wages. Chinese manufacturers are moving to India as the wages are lower than in China.

Göran


----------

